Reading the Harry Potter Books 5-7
by LilyEvansJamesPotter4ever
Summary: The main characters in this story will be Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. They are all at Grimuald Place when a letter lands in Remus' lap and 3 books land on Sirius' head. Join them in reading the last three Harry Potter Books and watch out for some unexpected guests from the past, present and maybe even the future! Note: Not doing the first two chapters of OotP
1. Chapter 1

It had been 5 days since the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione had left to go to Hogwarts and Molly and Arthur had left to go back to the Burrow and the only people left was Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Now this story starts when they are all sitting around the kitchen table and a letter appears and lands in front of Remus.

"What have you got their Moony?" Sirius asked.

"A letter..."Remus said staring at the letter blankly.

"Well read it!" exclaimed Tonks excitedly.

_Dear Sirius, Remus and Tonks,_

_After you finish reading this letter three books will appear. These books are all about Harry Potter's last 3 years at Hogwarts. During these three years there are many deaths. Harry sees so much blood and death it rips him apart. We have sent these books back in time for you to read so you can stop the deaths and make this world a better place. Time will stop as you read these books so don't worry about that. As you read these books you may find that more people will appear. DO NOT HURT THESE PEOPLE. WE HAVE ONLY INVITED THOSE WHO WE TRUST AND WHO PLAY A BIG PART IN THE 1__ST__ AND 2__ND__ WIZARDING WARS. Do NOT invite anyone yourself. Have fun reading! _

_Signed, _

_T.R.L, J.S.P, A.S.P, L.L.P_

They all looked at each other.

"So where are the books?" asked Sirius.

'THUMP!'

"Ouch!" yelped Sirius as three heavy books landed on his head.

"Well I guess we've found the books!" snorted Remus and received a glare from Sirius who was now rubbing the slowly growing bump on his head.

"Let's read," said Tonks picking up the 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'"

****

I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.

**Harry copied these words on to three separate pieces of parchment the moment he reached the desk in his dark bedroom. He addressed the first to Sirius,**

"I feel so special!" joked Sirius but privately he was happy no matter how silly it was.

**the second to Ron and the third to Hermione. His owl, Hedwig,**

"I love that owl!" exclaimed Tonks.

"She has got quite the personality..." Remus admitted.

**was off hunting; her cage stood empty on the desk. Harry paced the bedroom waiting for her to come back, his head pounding, his brain too busy for sleep even though his eyes stung and itched with tiredness. His back ached from hauling Dudley home,**

"I'm hardly surprised!" joked Tonks.

**and the two lumps on his head where the window and Dudley had hit him were throbbing painfully.**

**Up and down he paced, consumed with anger and frustration,**

"He did sound very angry this summer" said Remus his brow furrowed.

"Yeah, did you hear him yelling to Ron and Hermione after we brought him here?" said Tonks.

"Yeah, I think people miles away would've have been able to hear him but it's what happens when he gets Lily and James' temper and lungs joined." Said Sirius a little sadly at the mention of his best friends.

**grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, casting angry looks out at the empty, star-strewn sky every time he passed the window. Dementors sent to get him, Mrs Figg and Mundungus Fletcher tailing him in secret, then suspension from Hogwarts and a hearing at the Ministry of Magic - and still no one was telling him what was going on.**

**And what, what, had that Howler been about? Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?Trapped here without information? Why was everyone treating him like some naughty kid?**

"Oh, but you are a naughty kid!" joked Tonks.

"I only taught him for a year and in that year he got into more trouble than his whole class put together... excluding Ron and Hermione of course they're just as bad..." Remus laughed.

"His father's son..." said Sirius pretending to wipe a tear of mirth out of his eye.

**Don't do any more magic, stay in the house . . .**

**He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body**

Everyone snorted.

**Just as he limped past the window,**

Tonks snorted at this.

**Hedwig soared through it with a soft rustle of wings like a small ghost.**

**'About time!' Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage. 'You can put that down, I've got work for you!'**

"No need to take it out on Hedwig" exclaimed Remus.

**Hedwig's large, round, amber eyes gazed at him reproachfully over the dead frog clamped in her beak.**

"You tell him!"

**'Come here,' said Harry, picking up the three small rolls of parchment and a leather thong and tying the scrolls to her scaly leg. Take these straight to Sirius, Ron and Hermione and don't come back here without good long replies. Keep pecking them till they've written decent-length answers if you've got to. Understand?'**

"I've still got scars from that..." said Sirius examining one on his hand.

"I remember that... she came in dropped the letter on your leg and then started pecking you when you didn't pick up the quill straight away" laughed Remus.

**Hedwig gave a muffled hooting noise, her beak still full of frog.**

**'Get going, then,' said Harry.**

**She took off immediately. The moment she'd gone, Harry threw himself down on his bed without undressing and stared at the dark ceiling. In addition to every other miserable feeling, he now felt guilty that he'd been irritable with Hedwig;**

"Oh well" Remus sighed "At least he feels guilty..."

**she was the only friend he had at number four, Privet Drive But he'd make it up to her when she came back with the answers from Sirius, Ron and Hermione.**

**They were bound to write back quickly; they couldn't possibly ignore a Dementor attack. He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to The Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him, stifling all further thought.**

**But Hedwig didn't return next morning. Harry spent the day in his bedroom, leaving it only to go to the bathroom. Three times that day Aunt Petunia shoved food into his room through the cat-Flap Uncle Vernon had installed three summers ago.**

"If I ever see those Dursleys I'm going to make them wish they'd never been gone..." said Sirius grinding his teeth.

**Every time Harry heard her approaching he tried to question her about the Howler, but he might as well have interrogated the doorknob for all the answers he got.**

They laughed weekly.

**Otherwise, the Dursleys kept well clear of his bedroom. Harry couldn't see the point of forcing his company on them; another row would achieve nothing except perhaps make him so angry he'd perform more illegal magic.**

**So it went on for three whole days. Harry was alternately filled with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything, during which time he paced his bedroom, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in this mess; and with a lethargy so complete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a time, staring dazedly into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry hearing.**

"Stupid Hearing..." muttered Sirius angrily.

**What if they ruled against him? What if he was expelled and his wand was snapped in half? What would he do, where would he go?**

'He could have come and lived with me" said Sirius.

**He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged. Might he be able to move into Sirius's house, as Sirius had suggested a year ago, before he had been forced to flee from the Ministry? Would Harry be allowed to live there alone, given that he was still underage? Or would the matter of where he went next be decided for him? Had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been severe enough to land him in a cell in Azkaban?**

"Azkaban!" exclaimed Tonks eyes wide "He wouldn't go to Azkaban for fighting off Dementors.

"I dunno. The Ministry is pretty unfair when it comes to trials..." said Sirius coldly thinking of his own stint in Azkaban.

**Whenever this thought occurred, Harry invariably slid off his bed and began pacing again.**

**On the fourth night after Hedwig's departure Harry was lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered his bedroom. Harry looked slowly around at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and an expression of enormous smugness.**

Tonks was also wore an expression of enormous smugness.

"What?" asked Sirius confused.

"Wait and see..."

**'We're going out,' he said.**

**'Sorry?'**

**'We - that is to say, your aunt, Dudley and I - are going out.'**

**'Fine,' said Harry dully, looking back at the ceiling.**

**'You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away.'**

**'OK.'**

**'You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions.'**

"What in the world are they?" asked Tonks looking confused.

"Items muggles use for entertainment... A Television is a box which Muggles use to watch their favourite shows and a Stereo is what they use to listen to music.

"Right..." said Tonks slowly "And tell me, how do you know this?"

"I did Muggle Studies... To annoy my dear mother" said Sirius smiling.

**'Right.'**

**'You are not to steal food from the fridge.'**

**'OK.'**

**'I am going to lock your door.'**

**'You do that.'**

"What a conversation..."

**Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, clearly suspicious of this lack of argument, then stomped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry heard the key turn in the lock and Uncle Vernon's footsteps walking heavily down the stairs. A few minutes later he heard the slamming of car doors, the rumble of an engine, and the unmistakeable sound of the car sweeping out of the drive.**

**Harry had no particular feeling about the Dursleys leaving. It made no difference to him whether they were in the house or not. He could not even summon the energy to get up and turn on his bedroom light. The room grew steadily darker around him as he lay listening to the night sounds through the window he kept open all the time, waiting for the blessed moment when Hedwig returned.**

**The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry ay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery.**

**Then, quite distinctly, he heard a crash in the kitchen below.**

"Three guesses who that is!" teased Sirius while Remus smiled.

"Shut UP!" shouted Tonks her cheeks going pink and her hair turning red.

This just made Sirius and Remus laugh harder.

**He sat bolt upright, listening intently. The Dursleys couldn't be back, it was much too soon, and in any case he hadn't heard their car.**

**There was silence for a few seconds, then voices.**

"You guys aren't exactly quiet are you?" said Sirius shaking his head. " I mean I don't blame Tonks... it's not her fault she's clumsy," Sirius received a slap on the head for this but he kept going "But Moony! You spent 7 years sneaking around the school and you still haven't learnt how to be quiet?"

Sirius received two slaps on the back of his head for his comment.

**Burglars, he thought, sliding off the bed on to his feet - but a split second later it occurred to him that burglars would keep their voices down, and whoever was moving around in the kitchen was certainly not troubling to do so.**

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but closed it when Tonks waved her and threateningly.

**He snatched up his wand from the bedside table and stood lacing his bedroom door, listening with all his might. Next moment, he jumped as the lock gave a loud click and his door swung open.**

**Harry stood motionless, staring through the open doorway at the dark upstairs landing, straining his ears for further sounds, but none came. He hesitated for a moment, then moved swiftly and silently out of his room to the head of the stairs.**

**His heart shot upwards into his throat. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the street light glowing through the glass door; eight or nine of them, all, as far as he could see, looking up at him.**

"Lots of people volunteered to come..." said Remus remembering how many hands went up when Dumbledore asked.

**'Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out,' said a low, growling voice.**

"It's Mad-Eye!" exclaimed Tonks brightly at the mention of her mentor. "And he's just as cheerful as always!" she added.

**Harry's heart was thumping uncontrollably. He knew that voice, but he did not lower his wand.**

**'Professor Moody?' he said uncertainly.**

**'I don't know so much about "Professor",' growled the voice, 'never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly.'**

"Yeah Harry, get down there now!"

**Harry lowered his wand slightly but did not relax his grip on it, nor did he move. He had very good reason to be suspicious. He had recently spent nine months in what he had thought was Mad-Eye Moody's company only to find out that it wasn't Moody at all, but an impostor; an impostor, moreover, who had tried to kill Harry before being unmasked. **

**But before he could make a decision about what to do next, a second, slightly hoarse voice floated upstairs.**

**'It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away.'**

**Harry's heart leapt. He knew that voice, too, though he hadn't heard it for over a year.**

**'P-Professor Lupin?' he said disbelievingly. 'Is that you?'**

"It's Moony/Remus!" exclaimed Sirius and Tonks in delight much to Remus' embarrassment.

**'Why are we all standing in the dark?' said a third voice, this one completely unfamiliar, a woman's. 'Lumos.'**

"It's me!" exclaimed Tonks brightly her hair changing from her normal bubble gum pink to bright yellow.

**A wand-tip flared, illuminating the hall with magical light. Harry blinked. The people below were crowded around the loot of the stairs, gazing up at him intently, some craning their heads for a better look.**

"That must be horrible!" sympathised Tonks.

**Remus Lupin stood nearest to him. Though still quite young, Lupin looked tired and rather ill; he had more grey hairs than when Harry had last said goodbye to him and his robes were more patched and shabbier than ever. **

Remus sighed.

"Well I don't care how shabby your robes are and how many grey hairs you have!" exclaimed Tonks making Remus go bright Red.

Sirius elbowed him and winked making him go even redder.

**Nevertheless, he was smiling broadly at Harry, who tried to smile back despite his state of shock.**

**'Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would,' said the witch who was holding her lit wand aloft. She looked the youngest there; she had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet. Wotcher, Harry!'**

"I have to admit that person has to be the coolest person there!" said Tonks.

"Yeah, right..." muttered Sirius loud enough for Tonks to hear causing her to chuck a pillow at him.

**'Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus,' said a bald black wizard standing furthest back - he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear – **"Kingsley!"

** 'he looks exactly like James.'**

Sirius started blinking rather rapidly and Remus said "Exactly like him, Jet-Black Hair that's all messy and can't be tamed-"

"James was also a scrawny git..." said Sirius making Remus and Tonks chuckle weakly.

**'Except the eyes,' said a wheezy-voiced, silver-haired wizard at the back. 'Lily's eyes.'**

"James always wanted Harry to have Lily's eyes..." said Sirius.

"Yeah, You know how many times he told us exactly what he wanted the children he had with Lily Evans to look like?" said Remus.

"Millions," said Sirius sounding exasperated. "If it was a boy he wanted it to have bright green eyes and messy Jet-black hair and if it was a girl to have long, curly auburn hair and hazel eyes."

Tonks laughed "Well he got the boy right... that's exactly what Harry looks like..."

'But he didn't get to have a little girl...' they all thought sadly.

**Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled grey hair and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously at Harry through his mismatched eyes. One eye was small, dark and beady, the other large, round and electric blue - the magical eye that could see through walls, doors and the back of Moody's own head.**

"Which creeps me out..." said Remus shivering.

"Do you reckon he would be able to see through clo-" started Sirius.

"STOP that sentence!" shouted Remus cutting Sirius off.

"But Moony!" whined Sirius.

"We do NOT need to know!"

**'Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?' he growled. 'It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?'**

"Veritaserum!" exclaimed Sirius outraged.

"What can I say cuz? He's paranoid!"

**'Harry, what form does your Patronus take?' Lupin asked.**

**'A stag,' said Harry nervously.**

"Prongs..." whispered Sirius tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

**That's him, Mad-Eye,' said Lupin.**

**Very conscious of everybody still staring at him, Harry descended the stairs, stowing his wand in the back pocket of his jeans as he came.**

**'Don't put your wand there, boy!' roared Moody. 'What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!'**

"Who on earth does he know who's lost a left buttocks?" choked Sirius.

**'Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?' the violet-haired woman asked Mad-Eye interestedly.**

"I reckon it was him..." said Tonks bursting into laughter and not noticing Remus staring at her dreamily. Sirius noticed and winked saying "It's a long, lost cause Moony, just admit it already!"

**'Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!' growled Mad-Eye. **

**'Elementary wand-safety, nobody bothers about it anymore.' He stumped off towards the kitchen. 'And I saw that,' he added irritably, as the woman rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.**

"I hate it how he can see everything you do!" said Tonks looking annoyed.

**Lupin held out his hand and shook Harry's.**

**'How are you?' he asked, looking closely at Harry.**

**'F-fine . . .'**

**Harry could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing, not the tiniest hint of a plan to remove him from Privet Drive, and suddenly a whole bunch of wizards was standing matter-of-factly in the house as though this was a long-standing arrangement. He glanced at the people surrounding Lupin;**

"Why does he always call me 'Lupin'?" asked Remus sounding annoyed.

"I guess it's because you were his Professor and it doesn't feel right calling you 'Remus' because he always called you Professor Lupin."Tonks explained. Remus' stomach didn't somersaults when she said his name which he tried fruitlessly to ignore.

**they were still gazing avidly at him. He felt very conscious of the fact that he had riot combed his hair for four days.**

"It wouldn't have made a difference" said Sirius smiling. "James tried all sorts of things to get his to stay flat but nothing would work so he had to go around looking like he had just gotten out of bed. It didn't help that he kept ruffling it like he did." Everyone laughed at this, Remus and Sirius a little sadly at the mention of their friend.

**'I'm - you're really lucky the Dursleys are out . . .' he mumbled.**

"Lucky!" snorted Tonks accidentally changing her nose into a pig snout.

**'Lucky, ha!' said the violet-haired woman. 'It was me who lured them out-of-the-way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling them they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. **

"I'm proud of you Tonksie! It's safe to say that I'm related to you! Just don't do anything too disturbing in front of me with Moony here, Okay?" said Sirius making both Tonks and Remus blush furiously.

**They're heading off to the prize-giving right now . . . or they think they are.'**

"I can just imagine them... The walrus would be so angry and the horse not much better and don't get me started on the pig!" said Sirius making the others laugh weakly still blushing furiously from Sirius' previous comment.

**Harry had a fleeting vision of Uncle Vernon's face when he realised there was no All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition.**

**'We are leaving, aren't we?' he asked. 'Soon?'**

"They must be bad if he wants to get out of there so quick..." said Tonks sadly. Harry should have grown up with loving parents and no care in the world except for passing his exams but because of the evil bastard who calls himself Voldemort he was parent-less and had the weight of the Wizarding World on his shoulders.

**'Almost at once,' said Lupin, 'we're just waiting for the all-clear.'**

**'Where are we going? The Burrow?' Harry asked hopefully.**

"I love the burrow!" Tonks exclaimed dreamily while Remus nodded.

**'Not The Burrow, no,' said Lupin, motioning Harry towards the kitchen; the little knot of wizards followed, all still eyeing Harry curiously. Too risky. We've set up Headquarters somewhere un-detectable. It's taken a while . . .'**

"Yeah, this grimy, dirty, horrible place called Grimmauld Place!" said Sirius eyeing his surroundings distastefully.

**Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting at the kitchen table swigging from a hip flask, his magical eye spinning in all directions, taking in the Dursleys' many labour-saving appliances.**

**This is Alastor Moody, Harry,' Lupin continued, pointing towards Moody. 'Yeah, I know,' said Harry uncomfortably. It felt odd to be introduced to somebody he'd thought he'd known for a year.**

"That would be odd..." said Remus smiling.

"Yeah and it's made Mad-Eye even MORE Paranoid!" exclaimed Tonks flopping onto the table.

**'And this is Nymphadora - '**

' DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA, REMUS!" screamed Tonks making Remus shudder and edge away.

**'Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus,' said the young witch with a shudder, 'it's Tonks.'**

"Exactly"

**'Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only,' finished Lupin.**

"So would you if your mother had called you Nymphadora," muttered Tonks.

**'So would you if your fool of a mother had called you Nymphadora,' muttered Tonks.**

Tonks blushed while Sirius smirked and said "Looks like you didn't change much,"

**'And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt.' He indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed.**

"Kingsley is so cool!" exclaimed Sirius.

** 'Elphias Doge.' The wheezy-voiced wizard nodded. 'Dedalus Diggle - '**

**'We've met before,' squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his violet-coloured top hat.**

"That hat bugs me..." said Sirius grumpily. "But Dedalus is nice enough,"

**'Emmeline Vance.' A stately-looking witch in an emerald-green shawl inclined her head. 'Sturgis Podmore.' A square-jawed wizard with thick straw-coloured hair winked. 'And Hestia Jones.' A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster.**

"Emmeline and Hestia were Lily's best friends..." said Sirius.

"Yeah, you never saw one without the others." Remus Reminisced.

**Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered on-stage.**

"He should be used to it by now..." muttered Tonks.

** He also wondered why so many of their, were there.**

"Because you're Harry freaking Potter!" shouted Tonks punching the air.

**'A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you,' said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.**

"What? You should have seen his face!" laughed Remus.

"Yeah it was funny!" Tonks said smiling brightly her eyes sparkling.

**'Yeah, well, the more the better,' said Moody darkly. 'We're your guard, Potter.'**

**'We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off,' said Lupin, glancing out of the kitchen window. 'We've got about fifteen minutes.'**

**'Very clean, aren't they, these Muggles?' said the witch called Tonks, who was looking around the kitchen with great interest. 'My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob. **"You right about that Nymphie," Tonks growled giving him dagger eyes for using that name "Andy was constantly picking up after him," said Sirius laughing ignoring the look she was giving him.

** I suppose it varies, just as it does with wizards?'**

**'Er - yeah,' said Harry. 'Look - ' he turned back to Lupin, 'what's going on, I haven't heard anything from anyone, what's Vol-?'**

"And now they all flinch and gasp and so on..." said Sirius rolling his eyes.

**Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises; Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again and Moody growled, 'Shut up!'**

"Merlin! I would've thought Moody would've been able to say the name!" said Tonks in wonder.

"We scatter like school children whenever Voldemort is mentioned" said Sirius his eyes darkening as he remembered the first war. "Even the bravest of us can't say it and I can't say I blame them what with all the terror and destruction he caused.

**'What?' said Harry.**

**'We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky,' said Moody, turning his normal eye on Harry. His magical eye remained focused on the ceiling. 'Damn it,' he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, 'it keeps getting stuck - ever since that scum wore it.'**

**And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye.**

"That's disgusting!"

**'Mad-Eye, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?' said Tonks conversationally.**

**'Get me a glass of water, would you, Harry,' requested Moody.**

**Harry crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean glass and filled it with water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.**

**'Cheers,' said Moody, when Harry handed him the glass. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down; the eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. 'I want three hundred and sixty degrees visibility on the return journey.'**

**'How're we getting - wherever we're going?' Harry asked.**

They all laughed at Harry's antics.

**'Brooms,' said Lupin. 'Only way. You're too young to Apparate, they'll be watching the Floo Network and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey.'**

**'Remus says you're a good flier,' said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice.**

"He's a natural," said Sirius proudly "Even better than James was I reckon,"

"Yes, if James couldn't have been the best Flyer around he would have wanted it to be his son." Remus said smiling.

**'He's excellent,' said Lupin, who was checking his watch. 'Anyway, you'd better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes.'**

**'I'll come and help you,' said Tonks brightly.**

"This won't be good" muttered Sirius his head in his hands.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tonks pouted.

**She followed Harry back into the hall and up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and interest.**

"Of course you did..." muttered Sirius.

**'Funny place,' she said. 'It's a bit too clean, d'you know what I mean? Bit unnatural. Oh, this is better,' she added, as they entered Harry's bedroom and he turned on the light.**

"It is unnatural," said Sirius "Even Remus isn't that clean and he was always telling us to pick up our underwear and stop leaving our socks underneath his pillow!"

Tonks burst out laughing "You found socks under your pillow!" she choked at Remus.

He nodded "Yep and it was disgusting! It was like they stuck them in the toilet or in a swamp or something they smelt that bad!" cried Remus looking disgusted at the thought.

**His room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house. Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Harry had not bothered tidying up after himself.**

Remus shook his head disapprovingly while Sirius cheered beside him.

** Most of the books he owned were strewn over the floor where he'd tried to distract himself with each in turn and thrown it aside; Hedwig's cage needed cleaning out and was starting to smell; and his trunk lay open, revealing a jumbled mixture of Muggle clothes and wizards' robes that had spilled on to the floor around it.**

**Harry started picking up books and throwing them hastily into his trunk. Tonks paused at his open wardrobe to look critically at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door.**

'Women..." sighed Sirius "Always obsessed with their looks..."  
"Like you're one to talk!" exclaimed Remus "You spent at least an hour in front of the mirror before class.

Tonks snorted at this while Sirius had the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself.

**'You know, I don't think violets really my colour,' she said pensively, tugging at a lock of spiky hair. 'D'you think it makes me look a bit peaky?'**

"You're seriously asking Harry this?" asked Remus raising his eyebrow at her.

**'Er - ' said Harry, looking up at her over the top of Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland.**

**'Yeah, it does,' said Tonks decisively. She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she was struggling to remember something. A second later, her hair had turned bubble-gum pink.**

**'How did you do that?' said Harry, gaping at her as she opened her eyes again.**

**'I'm a Metamorphmagus,' she said, looking back at her reflection and turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions. 'It means I can change my appearance at will,' she added, spotting Harry's puzzled expression in the mirror behind her. 'I was born one. I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great.'**

"I'm thinking you nearly failed Stealth and Tracking," said Sirius looking amused.

Tonks just glared at him and crossed her arms.

**'You're an Auror?' said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark-wizard-catcher was the only career he'd ever considered after Hogwarts.**

"And he would make a great Auror too!" they all said.

**'Yeah,' said Tonks, looking proud. 'Kingsley is as well, he's a bit higher up than me, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking. I'm dead clumsy, did you hear me break that plate when we arrived downstairs?'**

"I knew it was you!" yelled Sirius pointing his finger accusingly at Tonks who frowned and crossed her arms tighter.

**'Can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus?' Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing.**

" I'm guessing he would like to hide his scar..." Remus sighed.

**Tonks chuckled.**

**'Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh?'**

"Moony! You think like Tonksie! You really _are_ made for each other!" exclaimed Sirius clapping his hands together like a small child. Remus and Tonks blushed but both had small smiles on their faces.

**Her eyes found the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead.**

" Isn't there a way to get rid of it?" asked Sirius though he knew what the answer was going to be.

"No..." said Remus looking like he wished he could say otherwise.

**'No, I wouldn't mind,' Harry mumbled, turning away. He did not like people staring at his scar.**

"I wouldn't either" said Tonks.

**'Well, you'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid,' said Tonks. 'Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand, or potions, to change their appearance. But we've got to get going, Harry, we're supposed to be packing,' she added guiltily, looking around at all the mess on the floor.**

**'Oh - yeah,' said Harry, grabbing a few more books.**

It's going to take for ages if he goes on like this" said Sirius drawing out 'ages'.

**'Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if I - pack!' cried Tonks, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor.**

**Books, clothes, telescope and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk.**

"You just don't have your mother's talent for packing do you?" sighed Sirius shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Like you could do better!" dared Tonks. Sirius ignored this knowing she had a point.

**'It's not very neat,' said Tonks, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside.**

"He would have been better packing it himself!" said Remus cheekily causing Tonks to half-heartedly glare at him.

** 'My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly - she even gets the socks to fold themselves - but I've never mastered how she does it - it's a kind of flick - ' She flicked her wand hopefully.**

"It won't work!" sung Sirius.

**One of Harry's socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess in the trunk.**

"See!"

"Nobody doubted you Padfoot!" cried an exasperated Remus.

**'Ah, well,' said Tonks, slamming the trunk's lid shut, 'at least it's all in. That could do with a bit of **

**cleaning, too.' She pointed her wand at Hedwig's cage. 'Scourgify.' A few feathers and droppings vanished. **

"Well at least that worked..." muttered Sirius low enough that Tonks didn't hear but Remus with his heightened hearing could and laughed causing Tonks to look at them both weirdly.

**Well, that's a bit better - I've never quite got the hang of these householdy sort of spells. Right - got everything? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! - A Firebolt?'**

"Hey, Siri..." sung Tonks giving him a big smile.

"What?" he asked knowing exactly 'What' she wanted.

"Can I have a Firebolt?" she winded.

"No... Harry's special!"

"But I'm Tonks your favourite cousin!"

"Nope" said Sirius popping the 'p'.

Remus sighed. How he wished he could by Tonks expensive gifts like that. He then mentally smacked himself. Why was he thinking this?

'Because you love her!' said I voice in the back of his head.

'No, I don't!'

"Oh, but you do and you know it..."

There was no denying it. Remus Lupin was in love with the bright, young, non-werewolf, never shunted from society, beautiful; Nymphadora Lupin... Tonks! He meant Tonks!

**Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand. It was his pride and joy, a gift from Sirius, an international-standard broomstick.**

Tonks was now pouting giving Sirius puppy eyes which he ignored.

**'And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty,' said Tonks enviously. 'Ah well . . . wand still in your jeans? Both buttocks still on? **

Everyone laughed.

**OK, let's go. Locomotor trunk.'**

**Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductor's baton,**

"I can just imagine that..." said Sirius.

** Tonks made the trunk hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand. Harry followed her down the stairs carrying his broomstick.**

**Back in the kitchen Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made Harry feel sick to look at it. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers. **

"Were all just as bad as Arthur Weasley..." muttered Tonks while the boys nodded in agreement.

**Lupin was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys.**

**'Excellent,' said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. 'We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry - '**

"Like they would..."

**They won't,' said Harry.**

**' - that you're safe - '**

"They won't care..."

**That'll just depress them.'**

**- and you'll see them next summer.'**

**'Do I have to?'**

"NO!" growled Sirius.

**Lupin smiled but made no answer.**

"I didn't think he was serious about the Dursleys being that bad!" defended Remus as Sirius looked weirdly at him.

**'Come here, boy,' said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry towards him with his wand. 'I need to Disillusion you.'**

**'You need to what?' said Harry nervously.**

**'Disillusionment Charm,' said Moody, raising his wand. 'Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go - '**

**He rapped him hard on the top of the head and Harry felt a curious sensation as though Moody had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down his body from the point the wand had struck.**

"Harry has the weirdest ways of describing these things." Tonks mused.

**'Nice one, Mad-Eye,' said Tonks appreciatively, staring at Harry's midriff.**

**Harry looked down at his body, or rather, what had been his body, for it didn't look anything like his any more. It was not invisible; it had simply taken on the exact colour and texture of the kitchen unit behind him. He seemed to have become a human chameleon.**

"That is spot on..." said Remus laughing at how Harry described Disillusionment Charms.

**'Come on,' said Moody, unlocking the back door with his wand.**

**They all stepped outside on to Uncle Vernon's beautifully kept lawn.**

**'Clear night,' grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. 'Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you,' he barked at Harry, 'we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. Lupin'll be covering you from below.**

** I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed - '**

"He's so cheerful!" said Sirius sarcastically.

**'Is that likely?' Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him.**

**' - the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you.'**

**'Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he'll think we're not taking this seriously,' said Tonks, as she strapped Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage into a harness hanging from her broom.**

"You tell him Tonks!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Is he ever cheerful?" Remus wondered out loud.

"Nope," said Tonks. "

**'I'm just telling the boy the plan,' growled Moody. 'Our job's to deliver him safely to Headquarters and if we die in the attempt - '**

"I say it again. Mad-Eye Moody is not cheerful." Tonks stated.

**'No one's going to die,' said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep, calming voice.**

"His voice is very calming isn't it?" Sirius said as if he just noticed.

"Well it defiantly helps him as an Auror," said Tonks.

**'Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!' said Lupin sharply, pointing into the sky.**

**Far, far above them, a shower of bright red sparks had flared among the stars. Harry recognised them at once as wand sparks. He swung his right leg over his Firebolt, gripped its handle tightly and felt it vibrating very slightly, as though it was as keen as he was to be up in the air once more.**

**'Second signal, let's go!' said Lupin loudly as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them.**

**Harry kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed through his hair as the neat square gardens of Privet Drive fell away, shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark greens and blacks, and every thought of the Ministry hearing was swept from his mind as though the rush of air had blown it out of his head. He felt as though his heart was going to explode with pleasure; **

"He really loves flying doesn't he?" Remus smiled weakly.

"Yeah, he does." Said Tonks "I could see it on his face..."

**he was flying again, flying away from Privet Drive as he'd been fantasising about all summer, he was going home . . . for a few glorious moments, all his problems seemed to recede to nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry sky.**

**'Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!' shouted Moody from behind him. **

"How can he spot those sorts of things?" asked Tonks in wonder.

**Tonks swerved and Harry followed her, watching his trunk swinging wildly beneath her broom. 'We need more height . . . give it another quarter of a mile!'**

**Harry's eyes watered in the chill as they soared upwards: he could see nothing below now but tiny pinpricks of light that were car headlights and streetlamps. Two of those tiny lights might belong to Uncle Vernon's car . . . the Dursleys would be heading back to their empty house right now, full of rage about the nonexistent Lawn Competition . . . and Harry laughed aloud at the thought, though his voice was drowned by the flapping robes of the others, the creaking of the harness holding his trunk and the cage, and the whoosh of the wind in their ears as they sped through the air. He had not felt this alive in a month, or this happy.**

**'Bearing south!' shouted Mad-Eye. Town ahead!'**

**They soared right to avoid passing directly over the glittering spider's web of lights below.**

**'Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!' called Moody.**

**'We're not going through clouds!' shouted Tonks angrily, 'we'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!'**

"That would have been horrible!" exclaimed Tonks.

"It's good you said something," muttered Remus "I didn't feel like going through clouds..."

**Harry was relieved to hear her say this; his hands were growing numb on the Firebolt's handle. He wished he had thought to put on a coat; he was starting to shiver.**

**They altered their course every now and then according to Mad-Eye's instructions. Harry's eyes were screwed up against the rush of icy wind that was starting to make his ears ache; he could remember being this cold on a broom only once before, during the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in his third year, which had taken place in a storm. **

"That was when he fell off." Sirius stated,

"How do you know?" asked Tonks looking confused.

"I was watching..." said Sirius mysteriously.

She looked questionably at Remus who mouthed "Later." She nodded.

**The guard around him was circling continuously like giant birds of prey. Harry lost track of time. He wondered how long they had been flying, it felt like an hour at least.**

"He was probably close..." muttered Remus.

**'Turning southwest!' yelled Moody 'We want to avoid the motorway!'**

**Harry was now so chilled he thought longingly of the snug, dry interiors of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of travelling by Floo powder; it might be uncomfortable to spin around in fireplaces but it was at least warm in the flames . . . Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around him, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight .., now Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and right . . . then she, too, swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore . . .**

**'We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!' Moody shouted.**

"IS HE CRAZY?" shouted Sirius.

**'ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE?' Tonks screamed from the front.**

"Well, that is why he's called 'Mad' Eye..." said Sirius slowly while Remus laughed at Tonks's antics.

** 'We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off-course we're not going to get there until next week! Besides, we're nearly there now!'**

"Good!"

**'Time to start the descent!' came Lupin's voice. 'Follow Tonks, Harry!'**

**Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They were heading for the Largest collection of lights he had yet seen, a huge, sprawling crisscrossing mass, glittering in lines and grids, interspersed with patches of deepest black. Lower and lower they flew, until Harry could see individual headlights and street-lamps chimneys and television aerials. He wanted to reach the ground very much, though he felt sure someone would have to unfreeze him from his broom.**

**'Here we go!' called Tonks, and a few seconds later she had landed.**

"Are you sure you didn't crash?"Sirius asked cheekily.

"Yes! I'm not that clumsy!" she said angrily.

"If you say so..." said Sirius rolling his eyes.

"I am NOT that clumsy! Am I Remus?" she said rounding on Remus who backed away as her hair turned red.

"Uh... No?" he squeaked.

Tonks sat back down a satisfied look on her face.

**Harry touched down right behind her and dismounted on a patch of unkempt grass in the middle of a small square Tonks was already unbuckling Harry's trunk. Shivering, Harry looked around. The grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the street lamps paint was peeling from many of the doors and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps.**

"It's an awful place..." said Sirius glaring around at the house he hated so much.

**'Where are we?' Harry asked, but Lupin said quietly, 'In a minute.'**

**Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold.**

**'Got it,' he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it.**

"The Deluminator!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly.

**The nearest street-lamp went out with a pop. He clicked the unlighter again; the next lamp went out; he kept clicking until every lamp in the square was extinguished and the only remaining light came from curtained windows and the sickle moon overhead.**

**'Borrowed it from Dumbledore,' growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. That'll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window, see? Now come on, quick.'**

**He took Harry by the arm and led him from the patch of grass, across the road and on to the pavement; Lupin and Tonks followed,**

"That sounds nice, doesn't it?" said Sirius smiling cheekily. "Remus and Tonks... or Mr and Mrs Lupin... or Remus and Nymphadora Lupin... Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Remus... Tonks?" he smiled. Remus was now red in the face and looked like he wanted to disappear through the floor and Tonks was bright pink but smiling slightly and was wearing a dreamy look which Remus noticed and, if possible, blushed harder.

**carrying Harry's trunk between them,**

Sirius gave them a suggestive look which they both ignored.

**the rest of the guard, all with their wands out, flanking them.**

**The muffled pounding of a stereo was coming from an upper window in the nearest house. A pungent smell of rotting rubbish came from the pile of bulging bin-bags just inside the broken gate.**

Remus wrinkled his nose.

**'Here,' Moody muttered, thrusting a piece of parchment towards Harry's Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as to illuminate the writing. 'Read quickly and memorise.'**

**Harry looked down at the piece of paper. The narrow handwriting was vaguely familiar. It said:**

**The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.**

"And what a horrible place it is too..." sighed Sirius.

"Well, are we going to read the next chapter?" asked Tonks turning the page. The two boys nodded their heads.

"Okay, **Chapter 4 Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place"**

* * *

**A/N- Hey! So this is the first chapter of my story 'Reading the Harry Potter Books 5-7' so I hope you like it! It's got a bit of Remus and Tonks Romance their for those who enjoy that. Remus seriously should just admit that he loves her! (Shakes head in frustration) Anyway, Remember to Review and tell me what you think! Sorry for not doing the first two chapters for the Order of the Phoenix.**


	2. Chapter 2

**'What's the Order of the-?' Harry began.**

**'Not here, boy!' snarled Moody. 'Wait till we're inside!'**

**He pulled the piece of parchment out of Harry's hand and set fire to it with his wand-tip. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Harry looked around at the houses again. They were standing outside number eleven; he looked to the left and saw number ten; to the right, however, was number thirteen.**

**'But where's-?'**

"Think about what you've just memorised," said Remus quietly.

**'Think about what you've just memorised,' said Lupin quietly.**

Tonks and Sirius laughed while Remus blushed.

"I see you didn't change much, Moony!" laughed Sirius. Remus whacked him on the head.

**Harry thought, and no sooner had he reached the part about number twelve, Grimmauld Place, than a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. It was as though an extra house had inflated, pushing those on either side out of its way. Harry gaped at it. The stereo in number eleven thudded on. Apparently the Muggles inside hadn't felt anything.**

"That's the beauty of the Fidulus charm..." said Tonks smiling while Remus and Sirius frowned. They'd bad experiences with the Fidulus Charm...

**'Come on, hurry,' growled Moody, prodding Harry in the back.**

"I hate it when he does that! It's so annoying and he does it so hard" Tonks complained.

**Harry walked up the worn stone steps, staring at the newly materialised door. Its black paint was shabby and scratched. The silver doorknocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox.**

Sirius huffed at this. "My parents didn't need a keyhole or letterbox because they thought it was to muggley. Plus we don't get letters through the letterbox."

**Lupin, pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. Harry heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.**

**'Get in quick, Harry,' Lupin whispered, 'but don't go far inside and don't touch anything.'**

"Best advice I've heard all day," said Sirius stretching his arms.

**Harry stepped over the threshold into the almost total darkness of the hall. He could smell damp, dust, and a sweetish, rotting smell; the place had the feeling of a derelict building. **

"Well it is," said Sirius a look of disgust on his face "I don't think that crazy house-elf has cleaned anything since my mother died...He was taking orders from my mother's portrait when I walked in."

**He looked over his shoulder and saw the others filing in behind him, Lupin and Tonks **

Sirius opened his mouth to say something here but was promptly silenced by Tonks as gold sparks shot out of her wand.

**carrying his trunk and Hedwig's cage. Moody was standing on the top step releasing the balls of light the Put-Outer had stolen from the streetlamps; they flew back to their bulbs and the square glowed momentarily with orange light before Moody limped inside and closed the front door, so that the darkness in the hall became complete.**

**'Here-'**

**He rapped Harry hard over the head with his wand; Harry felt as though something hot was trickling down his back this time and knew that the Disillusionment Charm must have lifted.**

**'Now stay still, everyone, while I give us a bit of light in here,' Moody whispered.**

**The others' hushed voices were giving Harry an odd feeling of foreboding; it was as though they had just entered the house of a dying person.**

Sirius scrunched his nose up at this.

** He heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-blackened portraits hung crooked on the walls. Harry heard something scuttling behind the skirting board. Both the chandelier and the candelabra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents.**

"Stupid snakes..." Sirius muttered looking at the chandelier in the room they were reading in.

**There were hurried footsteps and Ron's mother, Mrs. Weasley, emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. She was beaming in welcome as she hurried towards them, though Harry noticed that she was rather thinner and paler than she had been last time he had seen her.**

"And she's got a good reason to be..." said Remus sadly. They all nodded. The war did that to you.

**'Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!' she whispered, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug before holding him at arm's length and examining him critically. 'You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid...'**

"Typical mother behaviour..." said Tonks shaking her head.

"Not for me," said Sirius briskly "My mother wouldn't have cared if I dropped dead..."

Remus and Tonks looked sadly at Sirius. He should have grown up with lots of love.

**She turned to the gang of wizards behind him and whispered urgently, 'He's just arrived, the meeting's started.'**

**The wizards behind Harry all made noises of interest and excitement and began filing past him towards the door through which Mrs. Weasley had just come. Harry made to follow Lupin, but Mrs. Weasley held him back.**

**'No, Harry, the meeting's only for members of the Order. Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you can wait with them until the meetings over, then we'll have dinner. And keep your voice down in the hall,' she added in an urgent whisper.**

**'Why?'**

"Otherwise the portraits will wake up..."

**'I don't want anything to wake up.'**

**'What d'you-?'**

"That must have sounded so strange" laughed Tonks.

**'I'll explain later, I've got to hurry, I'm supposed to be at the meeting- I'll just show you where you're sleeping.'**

**Pressing her finger to her lips, she led him on tiptoe past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains, behind which Harry supposed there must be another door, **

"I wish it was Harry, I wish it was..." sighed Sirius dramatically.

**and after skirting a large umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from a severed troll's leg, **

"How many times have you tripped over that trolls leg?" asked Sirius curiously.

"Oh, Shut up!" said Tonks turning pink.

"It has to have been at least 200 times but that's being generous...OUCH!" Tonks had kicked him in the shins.

**they started up the dark staircase, passing a row of shrunken heads mounted on plaques on the wall. A closer look showed Harry that the heads belonged to house-elves. **

"That is so creepy..."

**All of them had the same rather snout-like nose.**

**Harry's bewilderment deepened with every step he took. What on earth were they doing in a house that looked as though it belonged to the Darkest of wizards?**

**'Mrs. Weasley, why-?'**

**'Ron and Hermione will explain everything, dear, I've really got to dash,' Mrs. Weasley whispered distractedly. 'There'-they had reached the second landing-'you're the door on the right. I'll call you when it's over.'**

**And she hurried off downstairs again.**

**Harry crossed the dingy landing, turned the bedroom doorknob, which was shaped like a serpent's head, and opened the door.**

**He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room; then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair—**

"Hermione..." they all said.

**Hermione had thrown herself on to him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat, while Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.**

"That owl is so cute!" cooed Tonks.

Sirius snorted "That owl bugs me!"

"I think it bugs everyone..." Remus admitted.

**'HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless-but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got things to tell us-the Dementors! When we heard-and that Ministry hearing-it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations-'**

"How does she talk so fast?" asked Sirius in wonder.

"I think she talks fast when she's nervous or excited," Remus said. "She did it a lot in class when answering questions..." he laughed. "She must have been the only person in the class to answer the questions because when I asked something the class looked expectantly at Hermione."

Sirius and Tonks laughed and Remus couldn't help feeling proud that Tonks had laughed at what he said.

**'Let him breathe, Hermione,' said Ron, grinning as he closed the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several more inches during their month apart, making him taller and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose, bright red hair and freckles were the same.**

"He's certainly honest with his descriptions..." said Tonks smiling at how he described Ron.

**Still beaming, Hermione let go of Harry, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound and something white soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder.**

"Hedwig!" exclaimed Tonks. "She's so beautiful!"

"And clever," added Remus " I've never heard of an owl with such personality..."

**'Hedwig!'**

**The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.**

They all smiled.

**'She's been in a right state,' said Ron. 'Pecked us half to death when she brought your last letters, look at this-'**

"Yeah," said Sirius grumpily "Look at all the cuts I got!" he pulled up his sleeve to reveal numerous cuts that were nearly healed but still visible and deep.

**He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut.**

"Ouch!"

**'Oh, yeah,' Harry said. 'Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know...'**

"Still," said Sirius grumpily.

**'We wanted to give them to you, mate,' said Ron. 'Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us-'**

**'-swear not to tell me,' said Harry. 'Yeah, Hermione's already said.'**

**The warm glow that had flared inside him at the sight of his two best friends was extinguished as something icy flooded the pit of his stomach. All of a sudden-after yearning to see them for a solid month-he felt he would rather Ron and Hermione left him alone.**

"I don't remember James or Lily being that angry at that age..." said Sirius looking concerned.

"Padfoot, you can't really blame him. He's got the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders and a mad man trying to kill him...All Lily and James had to worry about at that age was their OWLS..." said Remus gravely.

Sirius sighed. Why did it have to be Harry?

**There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of the others.**

**'He seemed to think it was best,' said Hermione rather breathlessly. 'Dumbledore, I mean.'**

"I still think he should've known more..." muttered Sirius.

**'Right,' said Harry. He noticed that her hands, too, bore the marks of Hedwig's beak and found that he was not at all sorry.**

They all winced at that thought.

**'I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles-' Ron began.**

**'Yeah?' said Harry, raising his eyebrows. 'Have either of you been attacked by dementors this summer?'**

"Stupid Dung..." muttered Sirius angrily.

**'Well, no-but that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time-'**

**Harry felt a great jolt in his guts as though he had just missed a step going downstairs. So everyone had known he was being followed, except him.**

"That probably wasn't the best idea either..." admitted Remus.

**'Didn't work that well, though, did it?' said Harry, doing his utmost to keep his voice even. 'Had to look after myself after all, didn't I?'**

"Yeah, because Dung decided that Business Dealings were more important than my Godson!" said Sirius sounding annoyed.

**'He was so angry,' said Hermione, in an almost awestruck voice. 'Dumbledore. We saw him. When he found out Mundungus had left before his shift had ended. He was scary.'**

"Dumbledore is pretty scary when he gets angry..." Tonks squeaked.

**'Well, I'm glad he left,' Harry said coldly. 'If he hadn't, I wouldn't have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at Privet Drive all summer.'**

"I wouldn't have let that happen!" cried Sirius. "I know exactly what it feels like to be locked up!"

Remus sighed. Sirius shouldn't be locked up in this house for months... he should be free and looking after Harry.

**'Aren't you ... aren't you worried about the Ministry of Magic hearing?' said Hermione quietly.**

**'No,' Harry lied defiantly. He walked away from them, looking around, with Hedwig nestled contentedly on his shoulder, but this room was not likely to raise his spirits. It was dank and dark. A blank stretch of canvas in an ornate picture frame was all that relieved the bareness of the peeling walls, and as Harry passed it he thought he heard someone who was lurking out of sight snigger.**

"Phineas Nigulus," Sirius spat "He's so full of himself..."

**'So why's Dumbledore been so keen to keep me in the dark?' Harry asked, still trying hard to keep his voice casual. 'Did you-er-bother to ask him at all?'**

**He glanced up just in time to see them exchanging a look that told him he was behaving just as they had feared he would. It did nothing to improve his temper.**

"He defiantly has Lily and James' temper combined..." admitted Remus.

**'We told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on,' said Ron. 'We did, mate. But he's really busy now, we've only seen him twice since we came here and he didn't have much time, he just made us swear not to tell you important stuff when we wrote, he said the owls might be intercepted-'**

**'He could still've kept me informed if he'd wanted to,' Harry said shortly. 'You're not telling me he doesn't know ways to send messages without owls.'**

**Hermione glanced at Ron and then said, 'I thought that, too. But he didn't want you to know anything.'**

**'Maybe he thinks I can't be trusted,' said Harry, watching their expressions.**

**'Don't be thick,' said Ron, looking highly disconcerted.**

**'Or that I can't take care of myself.'**

Remus and Sirius exchanged looks. This wasn't going to be good..."

**'Of course he doesn't think that!' said Hermione anxiously.**

**'So how come I have to stay at the Dursleys' while you two get to join in everything that's going on here?' said Harry, the words tumbling over one another in a rush, his voice growing louder with every word. 'How come you two are allowed to know everything that's going on?'**

**'We're not!' Ron interrupted. 'Mum won't let us near the meetings, she says we're too young-'**

"Which they are..." said Remus quietly.

"They're all too young," said Tonks gravely "None of them should have to think about the war, none of them should be worried that a family member of friends going to die or not..." she stopped. Stupid War, Stupid Voldemort.

**But before he knew it, Harry was shouting.**

"Yep, and the _whole_ house could hear..."

**'SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT- WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?'**

Sirius sighed. He's faced so much and he was only 15 years old.

**Every bitter and resentful thought Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him: his frustration at the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been together without him, his fury at being followed and not told about it: All the feelings he was half-ashamed of finally burst their boundaries. Hedwig took fright at the noise and soared off to the top of the wardrobe again; Pigwidgeon twittered in alarm and zoomed even faster around their heads.**

**'WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!'**

"He shouldn't have had to compete in that tournament," said Sirius. "He was too young. I tell you, I nearly had a heart attack when I found out he was competing..."

**Ron was standing there with his mouth half-open, clearly stunned and at a loss for anything to say, **

They couldn't help laughing at this.

**whilst Hermione looked on the verge of tears.**

"Poor Hermione..." sighed Tonks.

**'BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?'**

**'Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did-' Hermione began.**

**'CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR-'**

**'Well, he did-'**

**'FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON-'**

"I had to nick papers out of bins too and trust me it's not pleasant..." said Sirius a look of revulsion on his face. "And having to eat rats is even worse but I just kept thinking that each one of them was Peter and that kept me going. "he said with a Mad glint in his eye.

**'We wanted to—**

"So did we..."

**'I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER-'**

**'No, honest-'**

**'Harry, we're really sorry!' said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears. 'You're absolutely right, Harry- I'd be furious if it was me!'**

**Harry glared at her, still breathing deeply, then turned away from them again, pacing up and down. Hedwig hooted glumly from the top of the wardrobe. There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below Harry's feet.**

**'What is this place, anyway?' he shot at Ron and Hermione.**

**'Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,' said Ron at once.**

"Well he's got them so nervous they'll tell him anything..." said Sirius muttered.

**'Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix-?'**

**'It's a secret society,' said Hermione quickly. 'Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time.'**

**'Who's in it?' said Harry coming to a halt with his hands in his pockets.**

**'Quite a few people-'**

**'We've met about twenty of them,' said Ron, 'but we think there are more.'**

"Yeah there are..."

**Harry glared at them.**

"Sirius" Tonks said suddenly.

"What?" he asked.

"Your godson has a really, really bad temper."

"No, Really?"

**'Well?' he demanded, looking from one to the other.**

**'Er,' said Ron. 'Well what?'**

"He can't expect them to know what he's thinking?" exclaimed Tonks.

**'Voldemort!' said Harry furiously, and both Ron and Hermione winced. 'What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?'**

"I should have known..."

**'We've told you, the Order don't let us in on their meetings,' said Hermione nervously. 'So we don't know the details-but we've got a general idea-' she added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.**

**'Fred and George have invented Extendable Ears, see,' said Ron. 'They're really useful.'**

"I've seen them... they look pretty cool..." said Sirius. "I reckon Fred and George could give us marauders a run for our money" said Sirius while Remus shook his head in agreement.

**'Extendable-?'**

**'Ears, yeah. Only we've had to stop using them lately because Mum found out and went berserk. Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum binning them. But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realised what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know-'**

**'-some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order-' said Hermione.**

**'-and some of them are standing guard over something,' said Ron. 'They're always talking about guard duty.'**

"It's not just Harry we were guarding..." said Remus darkly.

**'Couldn't have been me, could it?' said Harry sarcastically.**

**'Oh, yeah,' said Ron, with a look of dawning comprehension.**

They snorted.

**Harry snorted. He walked around the room again, looking anywhere but at Ron and Hermione. 'So, what have you two been doing, if you're not allowed in meetings?' he demanded. 'You said you'd been busy.'**

**'We have,' said Hermione quickly. 'We've been decontaminating this house, it's been empty for ages and stuff's been breeding in here. We've managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms and I think we're doing the drawing room tomo-AARGH!'**

"Fred and George." They all said together in sync.

**With two loud cracks, Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers, had materialised out of thin air in the middle of the room. Pigwidgeon twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.**

**'Stop doing that!' Hermione said weakly to the twins, who were as vividly red-haired as Ron, though stockier and slightly shorter.**

**'Hello, Harry' said George, beaming at him. 'We thought we heard your dulcet tones.'**

They all laughed at this.

**'You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out,' said Fred, also beaming. 'There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you.'**

"Well at least Fred and George don't let Harry scare them..." admitted Tonks.

"It was true though! I heard him all the way down in the kitchen!" exclaimed Sirius.

**'You two passed your Apparation tests, then?' asked Harry grumpily.**

"Obviously..."

**'With distinction,' said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-coloured string.**

**'It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs,' said Ron.**

"Yeah but who would walk when they can apparate?" asked Sirius as though the idea was crazy.

**'Time is Galleons, little brother,' said Fred. 'Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears,' he added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, and held up the string which Harry now saw was trailing out on to the landing. 'We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs.'**

"Of course they are," said Remus shaking his head and smiling.

**'You want to be careful,' said Ron, staring at the Ear, 'if Mum sees one of them again...'**

"She'll blow a fuse!" shouted Sirius.

**'It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having,' said Fred.**

**The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.**

**'Oh, hello, Harry!' said Ron's younger sister, Ginny, brightly. 'I thought I heard your voice.'**

Remus and Tonks snorted with laughter but Sirius had a look of sudden comprehension of his face.

"Who wants to bet that Ginny and Harry will get together by the end of Harry's sixth year?" he asked smiling a look of mischief on his face. "They Remind me exactly of Lily and James"

"So do Ron and Hermione," said Remus "At least Harry and Ginny aren't fighting all the time..."

**Turning to Fred and George, she said, 'It's no-go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door.'**

Tonks smiled proudly at this.

**'How d'you know?' said George, looking crestfallen.**

**'Tonks told me how to find out,' said Ginny. 'You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap.'**

"Oh, Tonksie you've made me proud!" said Sirius dramatically pretending to wipe a tear away from his eye.

**Fred heaved a deep sigh.**

**'Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to.'**

"Git"

**'Snape!' said Harry quickly. 'Is he here?'**

"Snape is hated my everyone... why doesn't he just go live in Antarctica or something" said Sirius dreamily.

**'Yeah,' said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds; Fred and Ginny followed. 'Giving a report. Top secret.'**

**'Git,' said Fred idly.**

"See he agrees with me!"

"Nobody doubted you Padfoot!" said Remus sounding exasperated.

**'He's on our side now,' said Hermione reprovingly.**

"Doesn't stop him from being a git." Sirius snorted.

**Ron snorted. 'Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us...'**

Remus and Tonks laughed at Sirius who blushed.

**'Bill doesn't like him, either,' said Ginny, as though that settled the matter.**

**Harry was not sure his anger had abated yet; but his thirst for information was now overcoming his urge to keep shouting. He sank on to the bed opposite the others.**

**'Is Bill here?' he asked. 'I thought he was working in Egypt?'**

**'He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order,' said Fred. 'He says he misses the tombs, but,' he smirked, 'there are compensations...'**

**'What d'you mean?'**

**'Remember old Fleur Delacour?' said George. 'She's got a job at Gringotts to eemprove 'er Eeenglish-'**

They all laughed "Of course he is" said Tonks laughing.

**'-and Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons,' sniggered Fred.**

"And I bet he's enjoyed them immensely" sniggered Sirius.

**'Charlie's in the Order, too,' said George, 'but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off.'**

**'Couldn't Percy do that?' Harry asked. The last he had heard, the third Weasley brother was working in the Department of International Magical Co-operation at the Ministry of Magic.**

"Don't mention him..." said Remus darkly.

**At Harry's words, all the Weasleys and Hermione exchanged darkly significant looks.**

**'Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad,' Ron told Harry in a tense voice.**

**'Why not?'**

**'Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying,' Fred said.**

"He's a git... ditching his family like that." Said Sirius shaking his head. Percy often reminded him of his little brother Regulus. They both made the same mistakes.

**'It's been awful,' said Ginny sadly.**

**'I think we're well shot of him,' said George, with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.**

**'What's happened?' Harry said.**

**'Percy and Dad had a row,' said Fred. 'I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts...'**

"That's for sure..."

**'It was the first week back after term ended,' said Ron. 'We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted.'**

**'You're kidding?' said Harry.**

**Though he knew perfectly well that Percy was highly ambitious, Harry's impression was that Percy had not made a great success of his first job at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had committed the fairly large oversight of failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort (not that the Ministry had believed it-they all thought Mr. Crouch had gone mad).**

**'Yeah, we were all surprised,' said George, 'because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realised Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge; he wasn't going to complain...'**

" I'm surprised he wasn't in Slytherin, I mean he's really ambitious.

**'So how come they promoted him?'**

**'That's exactly what we wondered,' said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling. 'He came home really pleased with himself-even more pleased than usual, if you can imagine that-and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts-Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think.'**

**'Only Dad wasn't,' said Fred grimly.**

**'Why not?' said Harry.**

**'Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore,' said George.**

"So he wanted Percy to spy on the family?" Remus guessed.

**'Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days, see,' said Fred. 'They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back.'**

"Why would anyone say You-Know-Who was back when he really wasn't?"

**'Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks,' said George.**

**'Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession.'**

**'But what's that got to do with Percy?' asked Harry, confused.**

**'I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family-and Dumbledore.'**

**Harry let out a low whistle.**

**'Bet Percy loved that.'**

**Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way.**

**'He went completely berserk. He said-well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been-you know-not had a lot of money, I mean-'**

"That git!" exclaimed Sirius angrily while Tonks nodded viciously.

"How can he say that!" exclaimed Tonks.

**'What?' said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.**

**'I know,' said Ron in a low voice. 'And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he-Percy-knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family any more. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now.'**

"Git"

**Harry swore under his breath. He had always liked Percy least of Ron's brothers, but he had never imagined he would say such things to Mr. Weasley.**

"I wouldn't have been able to either," said Remus quietly "I taught him in his 7th year and he was very ambitious but he seemed to love his family and be was very loyal to them too."

**'Mum's been in a right state,' said Ron dully. 'You know-crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work-ignores him, I s'pose.'**

**'But Percy must know Voldemort's back,' said Harry slowly. 'He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof-'**

**'Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row,' said Ron, shooting Harry a furtive look.**

"Of course it did..." muttered Sirius.

** 'Percy said the only evidence was your word and ... I dunno ... he didn't think it was good enough.'**

**'Percy takes the Daily Prophet seriously,' said Hermione tartly, and the others all nodded.**

**'What are you talking about?' Harry asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding him warily.**

**'Haven't-haven't you been getting the Daily Prophet?' Hermione asked nervously.**

"Yes, but he hasn't been reading it cover to cover..." Remus sighed.

**'Yeah, I have!' said Harry.**

**'Have you-er- been reading it thoroughly?' Hermione asked, still more anxiously.**

**'Not cover to cover,' said Harry defensively. 'If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it?'**

**The others flinched at the sound of the name. Hermione hurried on, 'Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they-um-they mention you a couple of times a week.'**

**'But I'd have seen-'**

**'Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't,' said Hermione, shaking her head. 'I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke.'**

Sirius huffed angrily looking like he'd like nothing better than to curse Fudge.

**'What d'you-?'**

**'It's quite nasty, actually,' said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. 'They're just building on Rita's stuff.'**

**'But she's not writing for them any more, is she?'**

**'Oh, no, she's kept her promise-not that she's got any choice,' Hermione added with satisfaction. 'But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now.'**

**'Which is what?' said Harry impatiently.**

**'OK, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?'**

**'Yeah,' said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeter's stories about him in a hurry.**

**'Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something,' said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly. 'They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like, "A tale worthy of Harry Potter", and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's, "Let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next"-'**

**'I don't want anyone to worship-' Harry began hotly.**

**'I know you don't,' said Hermione quickly, looking frightened. 'I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going.'**

**'I didn't ask- I didn't want- Voldemort killed my parents!' Harry spluttered. 'I got famous because he murdered my family but couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never-'**

They all bowed their heads.

"It's a horrible reason to be famous..." said Tonks sadly.

Sirius couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't changed Secret Keepers to Peter they would still be alive. He would never forgive himself for it.

**'We know, Harry,' said Ginny earnestly.**

**'And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you,' said Hermione. 'Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy. We thought they would, it would be in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off. We think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town- I mean, if you're expelled, obviously,' she went on hastily. 'You really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you.'**

"That's the thing." Said Remus scornfully "They won't follow their own rules..."

**They were back on the hearing and Harry did not want to think about that. He cast around for another change of subject, but was saved the necessity of finding one by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. **

"Uh oh."

**'Uh oh.'**

**Fred gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.**

**'The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now. Everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?'**

**'Crookshanks,' said Ginny unblushingly. 'He loves playing with them.'**

"Wow, she's gotten better at lying!" said Sirius sounding impressed.

"It's expected with the sort of brothers she has" joked Remus.

**'Oh,' said Mrs Weasley, 'I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please...'**

"Yeah Ginny, Why are your hands so dirty?" Sirius said knowingly.

**Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room, leaving Harry alone with Ron and Hermione. Both of them were watching him apprehensively, as though they feared he would start shouting again now that everyone else had gone. The sight of them looking so nervous made him feel slightly ashamed.**

**'Look...' he muttered, but Ron shook his head, and Hermione said quietly, 'We knew you'd be angry, Harry, we really don't blame you, but you've got to understand, we did try to persuade Dumbledore-'**

**'Yeah, I know,' said Harry grudgingly.**

**He cast around for a topic that didn't involve his headmaster, because the very thought of Dumbledore made Harry's insides burn with anger again.**

**'Who's Kreacher?' he asked.**

"The Idiot, crazy, ugly House-elf who lives here." Said Sirius "A real nutter."

**'The house-elf who lives here,' said Ron. 'Nutter. Never met one like him.'**

**Hermione frowned at Ron.**

"Don't tell me she's still going on about SPEW!"Sirius whined.

"Yeah, she told me a lot about it during the summer it was quite boring." Remus said truthfully.

"And that's saying something "Sirius told Tonks "Moony was the only one who could stay awake in History of Magic." Tonks laughed and said "Really? I fell asleep!"

Remus blushed and glared at Sirius.

**'He's not a nutter, Ron-'**

"I agree whole heartily with Ron!" Sirius declared.

"As do I!" exclaimed Tonks.

"I have to say. I agree with you both..." Remus said when they looked expectantly at him.

**'His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on plaque just like his mother,' said Ron irritably. 'Is that normal, Hermione?'**

"Nope!" said Sirius popping the 'p'.

"Defiantly not!" agreed Tonks.

**'Well-well, if he is a bit strange, it's not his fault-'**

**Ron rolled his eyes at Harry.**

**'Hermione still hasn't given up on spew.'**

"I can see that," muttered Remus.

**'It's not "spew"!' said Hermione heatedly. 'It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. And it's not just me, Dumbledore says we should be kind to Kreacher too-'**

**'Yeah, yeah,' said Ron. 'C'mon, I'm starving.'**

They all snorted at this.

**He led the way out of the door and on to the landing, but before they could descend the stairs- 'Hold it!' Ron breathed, flinging out an arm to stop Harry and Hermione walking any further.**

**'They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something-'**

"They're way to curious for their own good!" said Remus shaking his head.

"Yeah, at the rate Harry's going I'm going to have a head of grey hairs by the time I'm 37!" cried Sirius looking stressed.

**The three of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The gloomy hallway below was packed with witches and wizards, including all of Harry's guard. They were whispering excitedly together. In the very centre of the group Harry saw the dark, greasy-haired head and prominent nose of his least favourite teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Snape. Harry leant further over the banisters. He was very interested in what Snape was doing for the Order of the Phoenix...**

"Aren't we all..." mumbled Sirius.

**A thin piece of flesh-coloured string descended in front of Harry's eyes. Looking up, he saw Fred and George on the landing above, cautiously lowering the Extendable Ear towards the dark knot of people below. A moment later, however, they all began to move towards the front door and out of sight.**

**'Dammit,' Harry heard Fred whisper, as he hoisted the Extendable Ear back up again.**

**They heard the front door open, then close.**

**'Snape never eats here,' Ron told Harry quietly. 'Thank God. C'mon.'**

"I agree whole heartily with you Ron!" exclaimed Sirius.

"You know at school he always called me Nymphadora because he knew I hated it! It was so annoying! I hate the name Nymphadora!" cried Tonks.

"I like it!" said Remus quietly and then he realized what he said and blushed.

Tonks smiled at him her hair turning red and her cheeks pink. Sirius just laughed and continued reading.

**'And don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry,' Hermione whispered.**

**As they passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall, they saw Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.**

**'We're eating down in the kitchen,' Mrs. Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. 'Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall it's through this door here-'**

**CRASH.**

"Merlin's Pants Tonks! Can you not trip over that thing everyone time you pass it?" Sirius cried sounding slightly exasperated.

"I can't help it!" cried Tonks.

**'Tonks!' cried Mrs. Weasley in exasperation, turning to look behind her.**

**'I'm sorry!' wailed Tonks, who was lying flat on the floor. 'It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over-'**

Sirius rolled his eyes at Tonks who decided to act her age and stick her tongue out at hiym.

**But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, ear-splitting, blood-curdling screech.**

"Oh, Shut UP YOU OLD HAG!" Sirius shouted at the book.

"Uh, Padfoot" Remus said hesitantly.

"WHAT?"

"Uh, you're shouting at a book..."

"Opps... I knew that!"

"Sure you did..."

**The moth-eaten velvet curtains Harry had passed earlier had flown apart, but there was no door behind them. For a split second, Harry thought he was looking through a window, a window behind which an old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she were being tortured-then he realised it was simply a life-size portrait, but the most realistic, and the most unpleasant, he had ever seen in his life.**

"I have to agree with you Harry, she is the worst, most unpleasant thing I've seen in my life!" agreed Sirius.

**The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched taut as she screamed, and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits awoke and began to yell, too, so that Harry actually screwed up his eyes at the noise and clapped his hands over his ears.**

**Lupin and Mrs Weasley darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.**

**'Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers-'**

"Yeah, Yeah, Shut UP! You annoying hag!" barked Sirius.

**Tonks apologised over and over again, dragging the huge, heavy troll's leg back off the floor; Mrs. Weasley abandoned the attempt to close the curtains and hurried up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits with her wand; and a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry.**

"It's me!" yelled Sirius gleefully.

"Yes Sirius, we know!" said Remus sounding frustrated.

**'Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!' he roared, seizing the curtain Mrs. Weasley had abandoned.**

"Yeah, Shut UP!"

**The old woman's face blanched.**

**'Yoooou!' she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man. 'Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!'**

"How I wish I wasn't related to you..." Sirius sighed "Well you can't have everything in life..."

**'I said-shut-UP!' roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again.**

**The old woman's screeches died and an echoing silence tell. Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather Sirius turned to face him.**

**'Hello, Harry,' he said grimly, 'I see you've met my mother.'**

"Yes, you have met my mother...sadly..."

"Right, Next Chapter, **The Order of the Phoenix"**

* * *

**A/N- Hey I hope you all liked the next chapter and remember to Review and tell me what you thought!(I'll try to get more talking between Remus, Sirius and Tonks in the next one and please tell me what characters you would like to come)**


	3. Chapter 3- The Order of the Phoenix

**'Your-?'**

"My dear old mum, yeah," said Sirius.

**'My dear old mum, yeah,' said Sirius. **

"Can you stop repeating yourself!" exclaimed Remus.

**'We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again.'**

"Ugh, I hate all those portraits!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Especially the one of dear Auntie Wulburga..." muttered Tonks making Remus laugh.

**'But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?' Harry asked, bewildered, as they went through the door from the hall and led the way down a flight of narrow stone steps, the others just behind them.**

"My dear old mother decided that she wanted to be around forever and annoy the occupants of the house so she decided to put a portrait of herself put on the wall using a Permanent Sticking Charm!" said Sirius angrily.

**'Hasn't anyone told you? This was my parents' house,' said Sirius. 'But I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters-about the only useful thing I've been able to do.'**

Remus and Tonks looked at Sirius who was glaring at the wall. They exchanged looks. Sirius shouldn't be locked up in this house. It should never have been in Azkaban. Peter Pettigrew should be. He is the reason that Harry has no parents. He is the reason that Sirius spent nearly 12 years of his life in that wretched place. He is the reason Remus lost all his friends in one night and had to go 12 years by himself alone and friendless. It was his entire fault...

**Harry, who had expected a better welcome, noted how hard and bitter Sirius's voice sounded. He followed his godfather to the bottom of the steps and through a door leading into the basement kitchen.**

"I don't get why they had the kitchen in the basement!" exclaimed Sirius waving his hands dramatically in the air. "I mean it's the most gloomy, dark place in the house! I spend most of my time down there with all the food!" Remus and Tonks just rolled their eyes and continued reading.

**It was scarcely less gloomy than the hall above, a cavernous room with rough stone walls. Most of the light was coming from a large fire at the far end of the room. **

"Which is the brightest thing in the house," admitted Sirius shaking his head in disgust.

**A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air like battle fumes, through which loomed the menacing shapes of heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. Many chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of them, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags. **

"Aren't the rags Mundungus?" Remus asked curiously.

"Well I suppose you could mistake Dung for rags..." Tonks admitted.

"Yeah, he's not exactly the most appealing person in the room is he." said Remus.

"Oh? So who is Moony?" asked Sirius honestly making Remus blush.

**Mr. Weasley and his eldest son Bill were talking quietly with their heads together at the end of the table.**

"Molly's not going to like that..." said Tonks.

**Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. **

"See?"

**Her husband, a thin, balding, red-haired man who wore horn-rimmed glasses, looked around and jumped to his feet.**

**'Harry!' Mr. Weasley said, hurrying forward to greet him, and shaking his hand vigorously. 'Good to see you!'**

**Over his shoulder Harry saw Bill, who still wore his long hair in a ponytail, hastily rolling up the lengths of parchment left on the table.**

"That's just going to make Harry even more curious." Said Sirius shaking his head.

**'Journey all right, Harry?' Bill called, trying to gather up twelve scrolls at once. 'Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?'**

"He tried" said Tonks laughing.

**'He tried,' said Tonks,**

"Stop repeating yourself!" said Sirius sounding annoyed.

"Okay, Okay, Keep your hair on!"

** striding over to help Bill and immediately toppling a candle on to the last piece of parchment. 'Oh no-sorry-'**

"And Tonks knocks it over..." sighed Sirius while Remus laughed making Tonks blush and glare at them both.

**'Here, dear,' said Mrs. Weasley, sounding exasperated, and she repaired the parchment with a wave of her wand. In the flash of light caused by Mrs. Weasley's charm Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a building.**

"Oh, God!" said Sirius slapping his face.

**Mrs. Weasley had seen him looking. She snatched the plan off the table and stuffed it into Bill's already overladen arms.**

**'This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings,' she snapped, before sweeping off towards an ancient dresser from which she started unloading dinner plates.**

"I love it when Molly cooks!" exclaimed Tonks her mouth watering.

"Yeah, her food has to be as good as the Hogwarts' food!" Sirius and Remus drooled.

"I never got the impression that you liked Molly very much..." Tonks said to Sirius.

"I do like her... I just don't always agree with what she says..." Sirius mumbled.

"Yeah, I can see that..." Tonks laughed.

**Bill took out his wand, muttered, 'Evanesce!' and the scrolls vanished.**

**'Sit down, Harry' said Sirius. 'You've met Mundungus, haven't you?'**

"Yeah, but in case you didn't know he's the one who left you by yourself when the Dementors came to go and see someone about a business opportunity." Sirius said gruffly.

**The thing Harry had taken to be a pile of rags gave a prolonged, grunting snore, then jerked awake.**

**'Some'n say m'name?' Mundungus mumbled sleepily. 'I agree with Sirius...' He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused.**

They all laughed. "Well that's one more vote for me!" joked Sirius.

**Ginny giggled.**

So did Tonks.

**The meeting's over, Dung,' said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. 'Harry's arrived.'**

**'Eh?' said Mundungus, peering bale fully at Harry through his matted ginger hair. 'Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah ... you all right, 'arry?'**

"Yeah, but it's lucky he was otherwise you would have been dead before you could say Thief!" Sirius growled .

**'Yeah,' said Harry.**

**Mundungus fumbled nervously in his pockets, still staring at Harry, and pulled out a grimy black pipe. He stuck it in his mouth, ignited the end of it with his wand and took a deep pull on it. Great billowing clouds of greenish smoke obscured him within seconds.**

**'Owe you a 'pology,' grunted a voice from the middle of the smelly cloud.**

"That you do!" muttered Remus.

**'For the last time, Mundungus,' called Mrs. Weasley, 'will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!**

"Yeah, it is kind of disgusting..." said Tonks screwing up her nose.

**'Ah,' said Mundungus. 'Right. Sorry, Molly.'**

**The cloud of smoke vanished as Mundungus stowed his pipe back in his pocket, but an acrid smell of burning socks lingered.**

"Ewww..."

**'And if you want dinner before midnight I'll need a hand,' Mrs. Weasley said to the room at large. 'No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey-' **

**'What can I do, Molly?' said Tonks enthusiastically, bounding forwards.**

"NO!" Sirius cried out dramatically. "Anything but that! If Nymphie here goes near the stove there won't be any kitchen left!"

Tonks shot him a glare as more Gold sparks shot out of her wand threateningly.

**Mrs. Weasley hesitated, looking apprehensive.**

"I would too Molly, I would too..." muttered Sirius ducking the punch aimed at his head.

**'Er-no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today.'**

Sirius snorted.

**'No, no, I want to help!' said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair as she hurried towards the dresser, from which Ginny was collecting cutlery.**

"And I bet that boosted her confidence that did!" teased Sirius.

"Shut it!"

**Soon, a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Mr. Weasley, while Mrs. Weasley stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire and the others took out plates, more goblets and food from the pantry. Harry was left at the table with Sirius and Mundungus, who was still blinking at him mournfully.**

**'Seen old Figgy since?' he asked.**

"What do you reckon she would do if I called her 'Figgy'?" asked Sirius interestedly.

"Probably whack you with her bag full of cat food or her saucepan!" joked Remus laughing as Sirius paled and clutched his face dramatically.

**'No,' said Harry, 'I haven't seen anyone.'**

**'See, I wouldn't 'ave left,' said Mundungus, leaning forward, a pleading note in his voice, 'but I 'ad a business opportunity-'**

"Yeah, yeah, we've heard your tales..." said Tonks waving his story aside.

**Harry felt something brush against his knees and started, but it was only Crookshanks, Hermione's bandy-legged ginger cat, who wound himself once around Harry's legs, purring, then jumped on to Sirius's lap and curled up. Sirius scratched him absent-mindedly behind the ears as he turned, still grim-faced, to Harry.**

"I don't usually like cats but Crookshanks is a very clever cat," admitted Sirius.

**'Had a good summer so far?'**

"Why on earth would you ask him that?" asked Remus sounding slightly exasperated. "You know how he felt about his summer!"

"I dunno, I wasn't thinking plus I would've preferred his summer. He got to wonder around outside and I was stuck in this Bloody house!" exclaimed Sirius.

**'No, it's been lousy,' said Harry.**

**For the first time, something like a grin flitted across Sirius's free.**

**'Don't know what you're complaining about, myself.'**

"See!"

**'What?' said Harry incredulously.**

**'Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad; at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights... I've been stuck inside for a month.'**

"What!" shouted Remus and Tonks incredulously.

**'How come?' asked Harry, frowning.**

**'Because the Ministry of Magic's still after me, and Voldemort will know all about me being an Animagus by now, Wormtail will have told him, so my big disguise is useless. There's not much I can do for the Order of the Phoenix ... or so Dumbledore feels.'**

**There was something about the slightly flattened tone of voice in which Sirius uttered Dumbledore's name that told Harry that Sirius, too, was not very happy with the headmaster either. Harry felt a sudden upsurge of affection for his godfather.**

Sirius smiled. He loved his Godson dearly he just wished he could have raised him and looked after him instead of being stuck in Azkaban all those years.

**'At least you've known what's been going on,' he said bracingly.**

**'Oh yeah,' said Sirius sarcastically. 'Listening to Snape's reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time ... asking me how the cleaning's going-'**

"I tell you I'm going to get that git back someday; I'll get him back-" Sirius ranted but was cut off my Remus.

"We know Padfoot!"

**'What cleaning?' asked Harry.**

**'Trying to make this place fit for human habitation,' said Sirius, waving a hand around the dismal kitchen. 'No one's lived here for ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist, hasn't cleaned anything in ages-'**

They all shivered.

**'Sirius,' said Mundungus, who did not appear to have paid any attention to the conversation, but had been closely examining an empty goblet. 'This solid silver, mate?'**

"He's going to steal it and sell it!" Tonks said sceptically.

"I really don't care if he takes it or not..." confessed Sirius fingering one of the goblets on the table distastefully.

**'Yes,' said Sirius, surveying it with distaste. 'Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest.'**

**'That'd come orf, though,' muttered Mundungus, polishing it with his cuff.**

"Yep..."

**'Fred-George-NO, JUST CARRY THEM!' Mrs. Weasley shrieked.**

"Now that was funny!" laughed Sirius remembering what happened.

**Harry, Sirius and Mundungus looked around and, within a split second, they had dived away from the table.**

"Good idea..."muttered Remus while Sirius laughed.

** Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.**

They all laughed. Those twins...

**'FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!' screamed Mrs. Weasley. 'THERE WAS NO NEED- I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!'**

"But it's so much more fun!" whined Sirius while Tonks nodded.

"Yes, but it's dangerous!" snapped Remus but there was a small smile playing at his lips.

"Where's your sense of fun Moony?" Sirius said laughing.

**'We were just trying to save a bit of time!' said Fred, hurrying forward to wrench the bread knife out of the table. 'Sorry, Sirius, mate-didn't mean to-'**

Remus snorted at this.

**Harry and Sirius were both laughing; Mundungus, who had toppled backwards off his chair, was swearing as he got to his feet; Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from where his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.**

**'Boys,' Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, 'your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age-'**

"Like Fred and George would show a sense of Responsibility!" snorted Tonks.

"I dunno, if it was something really serious they would be responsible. I mean it's not like they would break the law or anything..." said Remus Seriously.

**'-none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!' Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of Butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. 'Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy-'**

"Oh dear..." said Remus quietly.

"I still can't believe he would ditch his family like that!" murmured Tonks.

"He's a git, what can I say!" said Sirius loudly.

**She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.**

**'Let's eat,' said Bill quickly.**

"Good Idea..."

**'It looks wonderful, Molly,' said Lupin, ladling stew on to a plate for her and handing it across the table.**

"It's always wonderful!" exclaimed Tonks.

" I'm Hungry!" declared Sirius.

"You're always hungry!" snapped Remus.

"Yeah, well, I haven't had anything since breakfast!"

**For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius.**

**'I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out.'**

**'Whatever you like,' said Sirius indifferently.**

Remus shook his head while Sirius had the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself.

**'The curtains in there are full of doxys, too,' Mrs. Weasley went on. 'I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow.'**

Tonks groaned "I hate Doxys! They're so annoying!"

"Yeah, especially when they decide to live in your curtains..." agreed Remus who had had previous experiences with Doxys in his own house.

**'I look forward to it,' said Sirius. Harry heard the sarcasm in his voice, but he was not sure that anyone else did.**

Sirius bowed his head. He probably shouldn't have done that in front of Harry.

**Opposite Harry, Tonks was entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose between mouthfuls. **

They all laughed and Remus couldn't help thinking that Tonks' laughter was like music to his ears.

**Screwing up her eyes each time with the same pained expression she had worn back in Harry's bedroom, her nose swelled to a beak-like protuberance that resembled Snape's,**

Sirius snorted. How Snape could live with that nose he didn't know...

** Shrank to the size of a button mushroom and then sprouted a great deal of hair from each nostril. Apparently this was a regular mealtime entertainment, because Hermione and Ginny were soon requesting their favourite noses.**

"It is" said Tonks smiling.

**'Do that one like a pig snout, Tonks...'**

**Tonks obliged, and Harry, looking up, had the fleeting impression that a female Dudley was grinning at him from across the table.**

"I don't know whether I should be offended or not..." Tonks said slowly.

"Nah, it's just the pig snout." Said Sirius.

**Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Lupin were having an intense discuss on about goblins.**

**'They're not giving anything away yet,' said Bill. 'I still can't work out whether or not they believe he's back. Course, they might prefer not to take sides at all. Keep out of it.'**

"I don't think they'd go over to You-Know-Who... They've suffered losses too..." said Remus thinking hard.

"Yeah, that Goblin Family somewhere near Nottingham." Said Sirius solemnly.

**'I'm sure they'd never go over to You-Know-Who,' said Mr. Weasley, shaking his head. 'They've suffered losses too; remember that goblin family he murdered last time, somewhere near Nottingham?'**

Remus and Sirius looked sheepish while Tonks laughed.

**'I think it depends what they're offered,' said Lupin. 'And I'm not talking about gold. If they're offered the freedoms we've been denying them for centuries they're going to be tempted. Have you still not had any luck with Ragnok, Bill?'**

**'He's feeling pretty anti-wizard at the moment,' said Bill, 'he hasn't stopped raging about the Bagman business, he reckons the Ministry did a cover-up, those goblins never got their gold from him, you know-'**

"Yeah, well Bagman's a git isn't here?" said Sirius.

**A gale of laughter from the middle of the table drowned the rest of Bill's words. Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus were rolling around in their seats.**

"I have to admit Dung has some very funny stories..." Sirius admitted.

**'...and then,' choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, 'and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'e says, " 'Ere, Dung, where didja get all them toads from? 'Cos some son of a Sludger's gone and nicked all mine!" And I says, "Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?" And if you'll believe me, lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for a lot more'n what 'e paid in the first place-'**

Sirius snorted. While Remus looked disapproving.

**'I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus,' said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as Ron slumped forwards on to the table, howling with laughter.**

**'Beg pardon, Molly,' said Mundungus at once, wiping his eyes and winking at Harry. 'But, you know, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong-'**

**'I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, Mundungus, but you seem to have missed a few crucial lessons,' said Mrs. Weasley coldly.**

Remus nodded viciously. He had never really like Mundungus and it didn't help that he left Harry alone to fight the Dementors for a Business Deal.

**Fred and George buried their faces in their goblets of Butterbeer; George was hiccoughing. For some reason, Mrs. Weasley threw a very nasty look at Sirius before getting to her feet and going to fetch a large rhubarb crumble for pudding. Harry looked round at his godfather.**

**'Molly doesn't approve of Mundungus,' said Sirius in an undertone.**

"And neither do I!" Remus stated.

**'How come he's in the Order?' Harry said, very quietly.**

**'He's useful,' Sirius muttered. 'Knows all the crooks-well, he would, seeing as he's one himself. But he's also very loyal to Dumbledore, who helped him out of a tight spot once. It pays to have someone like Dung around, he hears things we don't. But Molly thinks inviting him to stay for dinner is going too far. She hasn't forgiven him for slipping off duty when he was supposed to be tailing you.'**

"Neither have I..." muttered Sirius.

**Three helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard later and the waistband on Harry's jeans was feeling uncomfortably tight (which was saying something as the jeans had once been Dudley's). As he laid down his spoon there was a lull in the general conversation. Mr. Weasley was leaning back in his chair, looking replete and relaxed, Tonks was yawning widely, her nose now back to normal, and Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling Butterbeer corks for him to chase.**

**'Nearly time for bed, I think,' said Mrs. Weasley with a yawn.**

**'Not just yet, Molly,' said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. 'You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort.'**

**The atmosphere in the room changed with the rapidity Harry associated with the arrival of dementors. Where seconds before it had been sleepily relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. A frisson had gone around the table at the mention of Voldemort's name. Lupin, who had been about to take a sip of wine, lowered his goblet slowly, looking wary.**

**'I did!' said Harry indignantly. 'I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so-'**

**'And they're quite right,' said Mrs. Weasley. 'You're too young.'**

Remus nodded his approval while Sirius said "But their 15 I mean they need to be ready because our war is going to become theirs."

"I know Padfoot but we should let them be kids for as long as possible. They'll lose their innocence soon enough."

**She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.**

**'Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?' asked Sirius. 'Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen-'**

**'Hang on!' interrupted George loudly.**

"And here comes the argument..." muttered Remus.

**'How come Harry gets his questions answered?' said Fred angrily.**

**'We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!' said George.**

**'"You're too young, you're not in the Order,"' said Fred, in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's. 'Harry's not even of age!'**

Tonks couldn't help smiling at Fred's imitation.

**'It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing,' said Sirius calmly, 'that's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand-'**

"-Is my responsibility." Sirius finished.

**'It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!' said Mrs. Weasley sharply. The expression on her normally kind face looked dangerous. 'You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?'**

Sirius glared at the wall and muttered 'None of your business'

**'Which bit?' Sirius asked politely, but with the air of a man readying himself for a fight.**

"You did look like you were readying yourself for a fight," laughed Tonks.

"Yeah, well I was about to go up against Molly Weasley!"

**'The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know,' said Mrs. Weasley, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words.**

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George's heads swivelled from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though they were following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned Butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin's eyes were fixed on Sirius.**

"I know I'm hot Moony but really!" said Sirius dramatically flicking his hair in a very girly way. Remus just rolled his eyes.

**'I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly,' said Sirius. 'But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back' (again, there was a collective shudder around the table at the name), 'he has more right than most to-'**

**'He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!' said Mrs. Weasley. 'He's only fifteen and- '**

**'-and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order,' said Sirius, 'and more than some-'**

Sirius sighed. He shouldn't have had to...

**'No one's denying what he's done!' said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. 'But he's still-'**

**'He's not a child!' said Sirius impatiently.**

**'He's not an adult either!' said Mrs. Weasley, the colour rising in her cheeks. 'He's not James, Sirius!'**

Tonks winced while Sirius bowed his head.

"That was unnecessary," said Remus shaking his head.

**'I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly,' said Sirius coldly.**

**'I'm not sure you are!' said Mrs. Weasley. 'Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!'**

Remus and Tonks winced while Sirius looked at his shoes.

**'What's wrong with that?' said Harry.**

**'What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!' said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes still boring into Sirius. 'You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!'**

Sirius huffed.

**'Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?' demanded Sirius, his voice rising.**

Sirius was now red in the face with anger.

**'Meaning you have been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and-'**

**'We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!' said Sirius loudly.**

**'Arthur!' said Mrs. Weasley rounding on her husband. 'Arthur, back me up!'**

"Poor Arthur..." Tonks whispered.

**Mr. Weasley did not speak at once. He took off his glasses and cleaned them slowly on his robes, not looking at his wife. Only when he had replaced them carefully on his nose did he reply.**

**'Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in, to a certain extent, now that he is staying at headquarters-'**

**'Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!'**

**'Personally,' said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Mrs. Weasley turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally she was about to get an ally, 'I think it better that Harry gets the facts-not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture-from us, rather than a garbled version from ... others.'**

"Well said Moony!" said Sirius approvingly.

**His expression was mild, but Harry felt sure Lupin, at least, knew that some Extendable Ears had survived Mrs. Weasley's purge.**

"Well I'm a Marauder, What can I say!" said Remus proudly while Sirius smiled.

**'Well,' said Mrs Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, 'well ... I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart-'**

**'He's not your son,' said Sirius quietly.**

**'He's as good as,' said Mrs. Weasley fiercely. 'Who else has he got?'**

"ME!" shouted an outraged Sirius.

"We know Sirius," said Remus putting a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

**'He's got me!'**

Sirius nodded in agreement.

**'Yes,' said Mrs Weasley, her lip curling, 'the thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?'**

**Sirius started to rise from his chair.**

**'Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,' said Lupin sharply. 'Sirius, sit down.'**

**Mrs. Weasleys lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white.**

**'I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this,' Lupin continued, 'he's old enough to decide for himself.'**

**'I want to know what's been going on,' Harry said at once.**

**He did not look at Mrs. Weasley. He had been touched by what she had said about his being as good as a son, but he was also impatient with her mollycoddling. Sirius was right, he was not a child.**

**'Very well,' said Mrs. Weasley, her voice cracking. 'Ginny-Ron-Hermione-Fred-George-I want, you out of this kitchen, now.'**

'That's not going to go down too well..."

**There was instant uproar.**

"See?"

"Nobody doubted you Moony!" said Sirius exasperated.

**'We're of age!' Fred and George bellowed together.**

**'If Harry's allowed, why can't I?' shouted Ron.**

**'Mum, I want to hear!' wailed Ginny.**

"Ginny is way too young..."admitted Sirius.

**'NO!' shouted Mrs. Weasley, standing up, her eyes overbright. 'I absolutely forbid-'**

**'Molly you can't stop Fred and George,' said Mr. Weasley wearily. 'They are of age-'**

**'They're still at school-'**

**'But they're legally adults now,' said Mr. Weasley, in the same tired voice.**

**Mrs. Weasley was now scarlet in the face.**

**'I-oh, all right then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron-'**

**'Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!' said Ron hotly. 'Won't-won't you?' he added uncertainly, meeting Harry's eyes.**

**For a split second, Harry considered telling Ron that he wouldn't tell him a single word, that he could try a taste of being kept in the dark and see how he liked it. But the nasty impulse vanished as they looked at each other.**

They all smiled at this.

**'Course I will,' Harry said.**

**Ron and Hermione beamed.**

**'Fine!' shouted Mrs. Weasley. 'Fine! Ginny-BED!'**

"And she didn't go quietly..." said Tonks smiling at the girl she thought of as a sister.

**Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs. Blacks ear-splitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm. It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that Sirius spoke.**

**'OK, Harry ... what do you want to know?'**

**Harry took a deep breath and asked the question that had obsessed him for the last month.**

**'Where's Voldemort?' he said, ignoring the renewed shudders and winces at the name. 'What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news, and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything-'**

**'That's because there haven't been any funny deaths yet,' said Sirius, 'not as far as we know, anyway... And we know quite a lot.'**

**'More than he thinks we do, anyway,' said Lupin.**

"Which is much more than we knew last time..." said Sirius sadly.

**'How come he's stopped killing people?' Harry asked. He knew Voldemort had murdered more than once in the last year alone.**

Tonks muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'Cold- hearted psychopath'

**'Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself,' said Sirius. 'It would be dangerous for him. His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed it up.'**

Sirius smiled proudly.

**'Or rather, you messed it up for him,' said Lupin, with a satisfied smile.**

**'How?' Harry asked, perplexed.**

Sirius whacked himself in the face while Remus shook his head in mock disappointment.

**'You weren't supposed to survive!' said Sirius. 'Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness.'**

**'And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore,' said Lupin. 'And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once.'**

Sirius smiled proudly.

**'How has that helped?' Harry asked.**

**'Are you kidding?' said Bill incredulously. 'Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of!'**

**'Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after Voldemort returned,' said Sirius.**

**'So, what's the Order been doing?' said Harry, looking around at them all.**

**'Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans,' said Sirius.**

**'How d'you know what his plans are?' Harry asked quickly.**

**'Dumbledore's got a shrewd idea,' said Lupin, 'and Dumbledore's shrewd ideas normally turn out to be accurate.'**

**'So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?'**

**'Well, firstly, he wants to build up his army again,' said Sirius. 'In the old days he had huge numbers at his command: witches and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. You heard him planning to recruit the giants; well, they'll be just one of the groups he's after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters.'**

"Now that would be a sight..."

**'So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?'**

**'We're doing our best,' said Lupin.**

**'How?'**

**'Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that You-Know-Who really has returned, to put them on their guard,' said Bill. 'It's proving tricky, though.'**

**'Why?'**

"Because of Fudge!" said Sirius angrily.

**'Because of the Ministry's attitude,' said Tonks. 'You saw Cornelius Fudge after You-Know-Who came back, Harry. Well, he hasn't shifted his position at all. He's absolutely refusing to believe it's happened.'**

**'But why?' said Harry desperately. 'Why's he being so stupid? If Dumbledore-'**

**'Ah, well, you've put your finger on the problem,' said Mr. Weasley with a wry smile. 'Dumbledore.'**

**'Fudge is frightened of him, you see,' said Tonks sadly.**

**'Frightened of Dumbledore?' said Harry incredulously.**

"Frightened of what he's up to," said Remus seriously.

**'Frightened of what he's up to,' said Mr. Weasley. 'Fudge thinks Dumbledore's plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister for Magic.'**

"God Remus"

**'But Dumbledore doesn't want-'**

**'Of course he doesn't,' said Mr. Weasley. 'He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired. Fudge came to power instead, but he's never quite forgotten how much popular support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job.'**

"I think he would be a much better minister than Fudge or any of the other Ministers we had," admitted Tonks while Remus nodded. Sirius just glared at the wall still angry at the old man.

**'Deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore's much cleverer than he is, a much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice,' said Lupin. 'But it seems he's become fond of power, and much more confident. He loves being Minister for Magic and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumbledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it.'**

"Like he would do that!" snorted Tonks.

**'How can he think that?' said Harry angrily. 'How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up-that I'd make it all up?'**

**'Because accepting that Voldermort's back would mean trouble like the Ministry hasn't had to cope with for nearly fourteen years,' said Sirius bitterly. 'Fudge just can't bring himself to face it. It's so much more comfortable to convince himself Dumbledore's lying to destabilise him.'**

"How did he become Minister?" asked Sirius pulling his hair.

"That is a question that I doubt is ever going to be answered," said Remus shaking his head.

**'You see the problem,' said Lupin. 'While the Ministry insists there is nothing to fear from Voldemort it's hard to convince people he's back, especially as they really don't want to believe it in the first place. What's more, the Ministry's leaning heavily on the Daily Prophet not to report any of what they're calling Dumbledore's rumour-mongering, so most of the wizarding community are completely unaware anything's happened, and that makes them easy targets for the Death Eaters if they're using the Imperius Curse.'**

**'But you're telling people, aren't you?' said Harry, looking around at Mr. Weasley, Sirius, Bill, Mundungus, Lupin and Tonks. 'You're letting people know he's back?'**

Sirius and Remus snorted and smiled.

**They all smiled humourlessly.**

**'Well, as everyone thinks I'm a mad mass-murderer and the Ministry's put a ten thousand Galleon price on my head, I can hardly stroll up the street and start handing out leaflets, can I?' said Sirius restlessly.**

They all laughed.

"Don't worry Sirius, you'll be free soon. As soon as the ministry realizes that Dumbledore's been telling the truth all along then they'll realize that he was telling the truth about you," said Remus.

**'And I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community,' said Lupin. 'It's an occupational hazard of being a werewolf.'**

Sirius and Tonks looked at Remus sadly who had a pained expression on his face.

"I don't care whether you're a werewolf or a human!" said Tonks fiercely.

**'Tonks and Arthur would lose their jobs at the Ministry if they started shooting their mouths off,' said Sirius, 'and it's very important for us to have spies inside the Ministry, because you can bet Voldemort will have them.'**

**'We've managed to convince a couple of people, though,' said Mr. Weasley. Tonks here, for one-she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage- Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset, too; he's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he's been feeding the Ministry information that Sirius is in Tibet.'**

"Good ol' Kingsley!" said Sirius quietly.

**'But if none of you are putting the news out that Voldemort's back-' Harry began.**

**'Who said none of us are putting the news out?' said Sirius. 'Why d'you think Dumbledore's in such trouble?'**

**'What d'you mean?' Harry asked.**

Sirius slapped his face.

**'They're trying to discredit him,' said Lupin. 'Didn't you see the Daily Prophet last week? They reported that he'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards because he's getting old and losing his grip, but it's not true; he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made a speech announcing Voldemort's return. They've demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot-that's the Wizard High Court-and they're talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class, too.'.**

"Yeah, but the problem with the Order of Merlin is they just give them away to anyone who gave them money so there's not much meaning to them anymore..." said Remus

**'But Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do as long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog Cards,' said Bill, grinning.**

They all grinned at this.

**'It's no laughing matter,' said Mr. Weasley sharply. 'If he carries on defying the Ministry like this he could end up in Azkaban, and the last thing we want is to have Dumbledore locked up. While You-Know-Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to what he's up to he's going to go cautiously. **

**If Dumbledore's out of the way-well, You-Know-Who will have a clear field.'**

**'But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?' asked Harry desperately.**

**'Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors, Harry,' said Sirius. **

**'He tricks, jinxes and blackmails them. He's well-practised at operating in secret. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in. He's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on those for the moment.'**

**'What's he after apart from followers?' Harry asked swiftly. He thought he saw Sirius and Lupin exchange the most fleeting of looks before Sirius answered, 'Stuff he can only get by stealth.'**

**When Harry continued to look puzzled, Sirius said, 'Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time.'**

**'When he was powerful before?'**

**'Yes.'**

**'Like what kind of weapon?' said Harry. 'Something worse than the Avada Kedavra-?'**

**'That's enough!'**

**Mrs. Weasley spoke from the shadows beside the door. Harry hadn't noticed her return from taking Ginny upstairs. Her arms were crossed and she looked furious.**

**'I want you in bed, now. All of you,' she added, looking around at Fred, George, Ron and Hermione.**

**'You can't boss us-' Fred began.**

"I would go to bed if I was Fred..." said Tonks slowly.

**'Watch me,' snarled Mrs. Weasley. She was trembling slightly as she looked at Sirius. 'You've given Harry plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway.'**

**'Why not?' said Harry quickly. 'I'll join, I want to join, I want to fight.'**

"No, you're too young to join the Order." Remus said.

**'No.'**

**It was not Mrs Weasley who spoke this time, but Lupin.**

**'The Order is comprised only of overage wizards,' he said. 'Wizards who have left school,' he added, as Fred and George opened their mouths. 'There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you... I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough.'**

**Sirius half-shrugged but did not argue. Mrs. Weasley beckoned imperiously to her sons and Herrnione. One by one they stood up and Harry, recognising defeat, followed suit.**

"Well that was dramatic!" said Tonks trying to relive the tension.

"Yeah," said Remus "Right, the next chapter is called **The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black**"

"Oh, great," muttered Sirius.

* * *

**Hey! I'm so sorry for the delay but schools just started back and I've been really busy but I promise I'll try and get the next chapter up and hopefully it will be quicker than this one. Remember to Review and tell what you think!**

**LilyEvans4ever9887 out bitches (A very Potter musical, I LOVE that musical!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Mrs. Weasley followed them upstairs looking grim.**

**'I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking,' she said as they reached the first landing, 'we've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny's asleep,' she added to Hermione, 'so try not to wake her up.'**

They all snorted.

"I doubt that Ginny will be asleep" laughed Sirius.

"Yeah," agreed Tonks "She's probably awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything we said downstairs."

**'Asleep, yeah, right,' said Fred in an undertone, after Hermione bade them goodnight and they were climbing to the next floor. 'If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs then I'm a Flobberworm...'**

They all laughed.

" I'm quite sure he's not a Flobberworm then," said Remus smiling.

"It would be funny to see Fred's face if she was asleep though..." said Tonks thoughtfully.

**'All right, Ron, Harry,' said Mrs. Weasley on the second landing, pointing them into their bedroom.**

'Off to bed with you.'

"And I doubt that Harry and Ron are going to go to sleep without a bit of conversation first." Sirius said.

**'Night,' Harry and Ron said to the twins.**

**'Sleep tight,' said Fred, winking.**

"They're not going to do what I think they're going to do are they?" asked Remus his eyebrow raised.

"Probably," said Tonks "It is the twins we're talking about."

**Mrs. Weasley closed the door behind Harry with a sharp snap. The bedroom looked, if anything, even darker and gloomier than it had on first sight. **

"And I had to live like that for 16 years," said Sirius gloomily "And now I've got to stay here for who knows how long."

Remus and Tonks frowned.

**The blank picture on the wall was now breathing very slowly and deeply, as though its invisible occupant was asleep. Harry put on his pyjamas, took off his glasses, and climbed into his chilly bed while Ron threw Owl Treats up on top of the wardrobe to pacify Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, who were clattering around and rustling their wings restlessly.**

"Poor Owls" whispered Tonks sadly "They're not allowed to go Hunting."

"Yeah, but then again would Pig be able to bring much back, I mean he _is_ small." Sirius joked.

**'We can't let them out to hunt every night,' Ron explained as he pulled on his maroon pyjamas. 'Dumbledore doesn't want too many owls swooping around the square, thinks it'll look suspicious. Oh yeah ... I forgot...'**

**He crossed to the door and bolted it.**

**'What're you doing that for?'**

"Kreacher" they stated as though it was obvious.

**'Kreacher,' said Ron as he turned off the light. 'First night I was here he came wandering in at three in the morning. **

Sirius pulled a face. "We probably should have told them about Kreacher..."

**Trust me, you don't want to wake up and find him prowling around your room. **

"You don't," said Sirius shaking his head "You really don't..."

**Anyway...' He got into his bed, settled down under the covers, then turned to look at Harry in the darkness. Harry could see his outline by the moonlight filtering in through the grimy window, 'what d'you reckon?'**

"I knew it!" Sirius cried.

"No one doubted you Sirius!" said Remus sounding exasperated. Sirius stuck his tongue out at him making Remus roll his eyes.

**Harry didn't need to ask what Ron meant.**

**'Well, they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed, did they?' he said, thinking of all that had been said downstairs. 'I mean, all they've really said is that the Order's trying to stop people joining Vol-'**

Tonks flinched while Sirius rolled his eyes at her.

"Honestly! It's just a name," exclaimed Sirius. She ignored him.

**There was a sharp intake of breath from Ron.**

Sirius rolled his eyes again.

**-demort,' said Harry firmly. 'When are you going to start using his name? Sirius and Lupin do.'**

Sirius smiled proudly at this comment.

**Ron ignored this last comment.**

"Of course he did," said Remus shaking his head and smiling.

"Yeah," said Sirius "You know he reminds me of someone else who did exactly the same thing!" he said looking at Tonks who, once again, ignored him.

**'Yeah, you're right,' he said, 'we already knew nearly everything they told us, from using the Extendable Ears. The only new bit was-'**

**Crack.**

"They apparated!" cried Sirius laughing.

"I thought I heard a Crack," said Remus thoughtfully furrowing his eyebrows.

**'OUCH!'**

**'Keep your voice down, Ron, or Mum'll be back up here.'**

"Like they didn't make a big enough noise," muttered Tonks.

**'You two just Apparated on my knees!'**

They all winced.

"Ouch!" said Sirius and then started laughing.

"What?" Remus asked.

"I just remembered," he started "James did the same thing to me when I was staying at his house."

Remus laughed.

**'Yeah, well, it's harder in the dark-'**

"Not really," said Remus seriously "If you picture in your mind where you want to land you'll land in the right place"

"They probably did it on purpose!" laughed Sirius.

**Harry saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Ron's bed. There was a groan of bedsprings and Harry's mattress descended a few inches as George sat down near his feet.**

**'So, got there yet?' said George eagerly.**

**'The weapon Sirius mentioned?' said Harry.**

"Let slip more like it," muttered Tonks loud enough for only Remus to hear who laughed. Sirius gave them weird look.

**'Let slip, more like,' said Fred with relish, now sitting next to Ron. 'We didn't hear about that on the old Extendables, did we?'**

**'What d'you reckon it is?' said Harry.**

**'Could be anything,' said Fred.**

**'But there can't be anything worse than the Avada Kedavra curse, can there?' said Ron. 'What's worse than death?'**

"Watching friends or family die," said Remus grimly.

Sirius nodded in agreement. "I would rather die than watch _my_ Friends die... I can't really say the same for my family... Well I wouldn't like to see it happen too Andy or you Tonks" he sighed "Or Regulus..." he said sadly.

Remus and Tonks looked at each other sadly.

**'Maybe it's something that can kill loads of people at once,' suggested George.**

"They aren't even close," said Tonks smiling weakly.

**'Maybe it's some particularly painful way of killing people,' said Ron fearfully.**

**'He's got the Cruciatus Curse for causing pain,' said Harry, 'he doesn't need anything more efficient than that.'**

"He sounds as if he speaks from experience..." said Tonks slowly looking questionably at Remus and Sirius.

"He does," muttered Sirius his head in his hands. Tonks eyed widened. "The night Voldemort" Tonks flinched "returned." Tonks gasped.

**There was a pause and Harry knew that the others, like him, were wondering what horrors this weapon could perpetrate.**

**'So who d'you think's got it now?' asked George.**

**'I hope it's our side,' said Ron, sounding slightly nervous.**

**'If it is, Dumbledore's probably keeping it,' said Fred.**

**'Where?' said Ron quickly. 'Hogwarts?'**

Remus shook his head.

**'Bet it is!' said George. That's where he hid the Philosopher's Stone.'**

"And we learnt the hard way that Voldemort could get too it," said Sirius having heard the story from Dumbledore.

**'A weapon's going to be a lot bigger than the Stone, though!' said Ron.**

"Size is no guarantee of power." Sirius said seriously.

**'Not necessarily,' said Fred.**

**'Yeah, size is no guarantee of power,' said George. 'Look at Ginny.'**

They all looked at each other questionably.

**'What d'you mean?' said Harry.**

**'You've never been on the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you?'**

"Oh" said Remus smiling "Yes, I've seen her perform that curse on one of the Slytherins who was teasing her friend. It wasn't pretty..."

"We could make her a Prankster yet!" said Sirius proudly.

"What about me?" Tonks pouted.

"You too, Nymphie"

**'Shhh!' said Fred, half-rising from the bed. 'Listen!'**

**They fell silent. Footsteps were coming up the stairs.**

"And here comes Molly" said Sirius tonelessly.

**'Mum,' said George and without further ado there was a loud crack and Harry felt the weight vanish from the end of his bed. A few seconds later, they heard the floorboard creak outside their door; Mrs. Weasley was plainly listening to check whether or not they were talking.**

Remus smiled sadly "She doesn't trust them..."

**Hedwig and Pigwidgeon hooted dolefully. The floorboard creaked again and they heard her heading upstairs to check on Fred and George.**

**'She doesn't trust us at all, you know,' said Ron regretfully.**

They all laughed.

**Harry was sure he would not be able to fall asleep; the evening had been so packed with things to think about that he fully expected to lie awake for hours mulling it all over. He wanted to continue talking to Ron, but Mrs. Weasley was now creaking back downstairs again, and once she had gone he distinctly heard others making their way upstairs... In fact, many-legged creatures were cantering softly up and down outside the bedroom door,**

"I don't know about you guys but _I_ didn't hear any creatures cantering up the stairs" said Tonks smiling.

"I think he's dreaming..." Remus told her, also smiling.

**and Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, was saying, 'Beauties, aren't they, eh, Harry? We'll be studyin' weapons this term...' and Harry saw that the creatures had cannons for heads and were wheeling to face him... He ducked...**

"My Godson's dreams are crazy..." said Sirius; eyebrows raised a smile playing at his lips.

"Well at least it's not about Voldemort" admitted Remus causing the smile to slip from his friend's face.

**The next thing he knew, he was curled into a warm ball under his bedclothes and George's loud voice was filling the room.**

"And it is a _very_ loud voice at that." Remus said making the other two laugh.

**'Mum says get up, your breakfast is in the kitchen and then she needs you in the drawing room, there are loads more doxys than she thought and she's found a nest of dead puffskeins under the sofa.'**

**Half an hour later, Harry and Ron, who had dressed and breakfasted quickly, entered the drawing room, a long, high-ceilinged room on the first floor with olive-green walls covered in dirty tapestries. The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, moss-green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees. It was around these that Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George were grouped, all looking rather peculiar as they had each tied a cloth over their nose and mouth. Each of them was also holding a large bottle of black liquid with a nozzle at the end.**

"Doxy spraying time!" exclaimed Sirius loudly clapping his hands.

**'Cover your faces and take a spray,' Mrs. Weasley said to Harry and Ron the moment she saw them, pointing to two more bottles of black liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. 'It's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad-what that house-elf's been doing for the last ten years-'**

"Muttering to himself and taking mad orders from my mother's portrait."

**Hermione's face was half concealed by a tea towel but Harry distinctly saw her throw a  
reproachful look at Mrs. Weasley.**

"Can't she just accept that House-Elves like working!" sighed Sirius.

**'Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage-'**

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to," said Sirius.

**'You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione,' said Sirius, who had just entered the room carrying a bloodstained bag of what appeared to be dead rats. 'I've just been feeding Buckbeak,' he added, in reply to Harry's enquiring look. 'I keep him upstairs in my mother's bedroom. **

"Of course you do..." muttered Remus looking exasperated.

"What?" Sirius said indignantly. "I like to pay her back for what she's done over the years"

**Anyway ... this writing desk...'**

**He dropped the bag of rats into an armchair, then bent over to examine the locked cabinet which, Harry now noticed for the first time, was shaking slightly.**

"Defiantly a boggart..." declared Remus knowledgeably.

"Of course Professor Lupin!" mocked Sirius.

**'Well, Molly, I'm pretty sure this is a boggart,' said Sirius, peering through the keyhole, 'but perhaps we ought to let Mad-Eye have a shifty at it before we let it out-knowing my mother, it could be something much worse.'**

"Much worse..." said Sirius.

**'Right you are, Sirius,' said Mrs. Weasley.**

**They were both speaking in carefully light, polite voices that told Harry quite plainly that neither had forgotten their disagreement of the night before.**

Sirius growled making Remus laugh.

**A loud, clanging bell sounded from downstairs, followed at once by the cacophony of screams and wails that had been triggered the previous night by Tonks knocking over the umbrella stand.**

"Why must you remind me!" cried Tonks dramatically.

**'I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!' said Sirius exasperatedly, hurrying out of the room. They heard him thundering clown the stairs as Mrs. Black's screeches echoed up through the house once more: 'Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of flith...'**

"She needs to think of something new," said Sirius shaking his head.

"Yeah," agreed Remus "It's always the same-"he started but was interrupted by Tonks.

**"-Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth" she mimicked making the boys laugh. **

**'Close the door, please, Harry,' said Mrs. Weasley.**

"And now he's going to try to listen to whatever's happening downstairs..."

**Harry took as much time as he dared to close the drawing-room door; he wanted to listen to what was going on downstairs. Sirius had obviously managed to shut the curtains over his mothers portrait because she had stopped screaming. He heard Sirius walking down the hall, then the clattering of the chain on the front door, and then a deep voice he recognised as Kingsley Shacklebolt's saying, 'Hestia's just relieved me, so she's got Moody's Cloak now, thought I'd leave a report for Dumbledore...'**

"Told you!" shouted Tonks. Sirius- being the mature adult he was- threw a pillow at her.

**Feeling Mrs Weasley's eyes on the back of his head, Harry regretfully closed the drawing-room door and rejoined the doxy party.**

They all laughed. "Hmmm," said Sirius thoughtfully "The Doxy Party... I like it!"

**Mrs. Weasley was bending over to check the page on doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.**

"She's still got that?" Tonks asked flabbergasted.

**'Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxys bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd rather nobody needed it.'**

**She straightened up, positioned herself squarely in front of the curtains and beckoned them all forward.**

**'When I say the word, start spraying immediately,' she said. 'They'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the sprays one good squirt will paralyse them. When they're immobilized, just throw them in this bucket.'**

**She stepped carefully out of their line of fire, and raised her own spray.**

**'All right-squirt!'**

"SQUIRT!" yelled Sirius rather like someone yelling 'charge' in a battle.

**Harry had been spraying only a few seconds when a fully-grown doxy came soaring out of a fold in the material, shiny beetle-like wings whirring, tiny needle-sharp teeth bared, its fairy-like body covered with thick black hair and its four tiny fists clenched with fury. Harry caught it full in the face with a blast of Doxycide; it froze in midair and fell, with a surprisingly loud thunk, on to the worn carpet below. Harry picked it up and threw it in the bucket.**

**'Fred, what are you doing?' said Mrs. Weasley sharply. 'Spray that at once and throw it away!'**

Remus shook his head. Of course he was...

**Harry looked round. Fred was holding a struggling doxy between his forefinger and thumb.**

**'Right-o,' Fred said brightly, spraying the doxy quickly in the face so that it fainted, but the moment Mrs. Weasley's back was turned he pocketed it with a wink.**

It's probably got something to do with their Joke shop" said Tonks knowledgeably having heard Molly yelling at them about it.

**'We want to experiment with doxy venom for our Skiving Snackboxes,' George told Harry under his breath.**

"What are Skiving Snackboxes?" asked Sirius looking puzzled.

**Deftly spraying two doxys at once as they soared straight for his nose, Harry moved closer to George and muttered out of the corner of his mouth, 'What are Skiving Snackboxes?'**

"Yeah?"

**'Range of sweets to make you ill,' George whispered, keeping a wary eye on Mrs. Weasley's back.**

'Not seriously ill, mind, just ill enough to get you out of a class when you feel like it. Fred and I have been developing them this summer. They're double-ended, colour-coded chews. If you eat the orange half of the Puking Pastilles, you throw up. Moment you've been rushed out of the lesson for the hospital wing, you swallow the purple half-'

"That's amazing!" said Sirius looking awestruck.

**'"-which restores you to full fitness, enabling you to pursue the leisure activity of your own choice during an hour that would otherwise have been devoted to unprofitable boredom." That's what we're putting in the adverts, anyway,' whispered Fred, who had edged over out of Mrs. Weasley's line of vision and was now sweeping a few stray doxys from the floor and adding them to his pocket. 'But they still need a bit of work. At the moment our testers are having a bit of trouble stopping themselves puking long enough to swallow the purple end.'**

Remus and Sirius looked at each other. The Weasley twins could defiantly give the Marauders a run for their money.

**'Testers?'**

**'Us,' said Fred. 'We take it in turns. George did the Fainting Fancies-we both tried the Nosebleed Nougat-'**

Sirius was now drooling.

**'Mum thought we'd been duelling,' said George.**

**'Joke shop still on, then?' Harry muttered, pretending to be adjusting the nozzle on his spray.**

**'Well, we haven't had a chance to get premises yet,' said Fred, dropping his voice even lower as Mrs. Weasley mopped her brow with her scarf before returning to the attack, 'so we're running it as a mail-order service at the moment. We put advertisements in the Daily Prophet last week.'**

"I'm surprised they didn't get more OWLS..." said Remus looking impressed at how clever they were.

**'All thanks to you, mate,' said George. 'But don't worry ... Mum hasn't got a clue. She won't read the Daily Prophet anymore, 'cause of it telling lies about you and Dumbledore.'**

"They defiantly know what they're doing..." admitted Tonks.

**Harry grinned. He had forced the Weasley twins to take the thousand-Galleon prize money he had won in the Triwizard Tournament to help them realise their ambition to open a joke shop, but he was still glad to know that his part in furthering their plans was unknown to Mrs. Weasley. She did not think running a joke shop was a suitable career for two of her sons.**

"I think they would be excellent at it!" said Sirius smiling at the idea.

"Yeah, I don't think they would have any trouble getting people to buy their products." Remus admitted.

"I am so going to their shop when it opened" declared Tonks while Sirius and Remus nodded their heads in agreement. Sirius didn't know how he would as he was an escaped convict/mass murderer but he would get their somehow, someday.

**The de-doxying of the curtains took most of the morning. It was past midday when Mrs. Weasley finally removed her protective scarf, sank into a sagging armchair, and sprang up again with a cry of disgust, having sat on the bag of dead rats.**

They all snorted at this.

**The curtains were no longer buzzing; they hung limp and damp from the intensive spraying; unconscious doxys lay crammed in the bucket at the foot of them beside a bowl of their black eggs, at which Crookshanks was now sniffing and Fred and George were shooting covetous looks.**

**'I think we'll tackle those after lunch.'**

**Mrs. Weasley pointed at the dusty glass-fronted cabinets standing on either side of the mantelpiece. They were crammed with an odd assortment of objects: a selection of rusty daggers, claws, a coiled snakeskin, a number of tarnished silver boxes inscribed with languages Harry could not understand and, least pleasant of all, an ornate crystal bottle with a large opal set into the stopper, full of what Harry was quite sure was blood.**

"Most likely is..." muttered Sirius darkly.

**The clanging doorbell rang again. Everyone looked at Mrs. Weasley.**

**'Stay here,' she said firmly, snatching up the bag of rats as Mrs. Blacks screeches started up again from down below. 'I'll bring up some sandwiches.'**

**She left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. At once, everyone dashed over to the window to look down on the doorstep. They could see the top of an unkempt gingery head and a stack of precariously balanced cauldrons. **

**'Mundungus!' said Hermione. 'What's he brought all those cauldrons for?'**

"Probably to hide them," said Tonks.

**'Probably looking for a safe place to keep them,' said Harry. 'Isn't that what he was doing the night he was supposed to be tailing me? Picking up dodgy cauldrons?'**

"Yes," said Sirius darkly "He was!"

**'Yeah, you're right!' said Fred, as the front door opened; Mundungus heaved his cauldrons through it and disappeared from view. 'Blimey, Mum won't like that...'**

They exchanged looks. No, she most defiantly wouldn't.

**He and George crossed to the door and stood beside it, listening closely. Mrs. Black's screaming had stopped.**

Sirius gave a dramatic sigh of relief. "Good!" he said.

**'Mundungus is talking to Sirius and Kingsley,' Fred muttered, frowning with concentration. 'Can't hear properly ... d'you reckon we can risk the Extendable Ears?'**

**'Might be worth it,' said George. 'I could sneak upstairs and get a pair-' **

**But at that precise moment there was an explosion of sound from downstairs that rendered Extendable Ears quite unnecessary. All of them could hear exactly what Mrs. Weasley was shouting at the top of her voice.**

"They defiantly don't need the Extendable Ears." Sirius laughed.

**'WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!'**

"She's defiantly got a set of Lungs!" exclaimed Tonks.

**'I love hearing Mum shouting at someone else,' said Fred, with a satisfied smile on his face as he opened the door an inch or so to allow Mrs. Weasley's voice to permeate the room better, 'it makes such a nice change.'**

They all laughed.

**'-COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE-'**

**'The idiots are letting her get into her stride,' said George, shaking his head. 'You've got to head her off early otherwise she builds up a head of steam and goes on for hours. And she's been dying to have a go at Mundungus ever since he sneaked off when he was supposed to be following you, Harry-and there goes Sirius's mum again.'**

They all laughed again. "The twins can defiantly make you laugh!" said Sirius wiping a tear of mirth out of his eye.

**Mrs. Weasley's voice was lost amid fresh shrieks and screams from the portraits in the hall.**

**George made to shut the door to drown the noise, but before he could do so, a house-elf edged into the room.**

"Oh no! Can't we skip this bit?" pleaded Sirius.

"No! We're reading the book word from word." Remus said firmly.

****

Except for the filthy rag tied like a loincloth around its middle, it was completely naked. It looked very old. Its skin seemed to be several times too big for it and, though it was bald like all house-elves, there was a quantity of white hair growing out of its large, batlike ears. Its eyes were a bloodshot and watery grey and its fleshy nose was large and rather snoutlike.

"Great description!" laughed Tonks.

**The elf took absolutely no notice of Harry and the rest. Acting as though it could not see them, it shuffled hunchbacked, slowly and doggedly, towards the far end of the room, all the while muttering under its breath in a hoarse, deep voice like a bullfrog's, '...smells like a drain and a criminal to boot, but she's no better, nasty old blood traitor with her brats messing up my mistress's house, oh, my poor mistress, if she knew, if she knew the scum they've let into her house, what would she say to old Kreacher, oh, the shame of it, Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors and thieves, poor old Kreacher, what can he do...'**

"Shut UP!" yelled Sirius.

"Um Sirius you do realize you're yelling at the book?" Tonks laughed. Sirius blushed.

**'Hello, Kreacher,' said Fred very loudly, closing the door with a snap.**

**The house-elf froze in his tracks, stopped muttering, and gave a very pronounced and very unconvincing start of surprise.**

**'Kreacher did not see Young Master,' he said, turning around and bowing to Fred. Still lacing the carpet, he added, perfectly audibly, 'Nasty little brat of a blood traitor it is.'**

Sirius glared at the book and started muttering under his breath.

**'Sorry?' said George. 'Didn't catch that last bit.'**

They all smiled at this.

**'Kreacher said nothing,' said the elf, with a second bow to George, adding in a clear undertone, 'and there's its twin, unnataral little beasts they are.'**

"I think he might have gotten the last bit right," admitted Tonks "They can be little beasts when they want to be"

"Don't agree with Kreacher!" Sirius yelled but she just laughed.

**Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. The elf straightened up, eyeing them all malevolently, and apparently convinced that they could not hear him as he continued to mutter.**

"He's nuts!" said Sirius shaking his head.

**'...and there's the Mudblood, standing there bold as brass, oh if my mistress knew, oh, how she'd cry, and there's a new boy, Kreacher doesn't know his name. What is he doing here? Kreacher doesn't know...'**

"Like we would tell him..."

**'This is Harry, Kreacher,' said Hermione tentatively. 'Harry Potter.'**

**Kreacher's pale eyes widened and he muttered faster and more furiously than ever.**

"Harry's famous even among house elves" said Tonks smiling slightly.

**'The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher's mistress saw him in such company, oh, what would she say-'**

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" they all shouted.

**'Don't call her a Mudblood!' said Ron and Ginny together, very angrily.**

**'It doesn't matter,' Hermione whispered, 'he's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-'**

"He knows exactly what he's saying," said Sirius darkly.

**'Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows exactly what he's saying,' said Fred, eyeing Kreacher with great dislike.**

**Kreacher was still muttering, his eyes on Harry.**

**'Is it true? Is it Harry Potter? Kreacher can see the scar, it must be true, that's the boy who stopped the Dark Lord, Kreacher wonders how he did it-'**

"Don't we all,"

**'Don't we all, Kreacher,' said Fred.**

"Are you sure you're not Fred in disguise?" Tonks asked Sirius "Because you've been saying exactly what he says."

Sirius just smiled mysterious, .

**'What do you want, anyway?' George asked.**

**Kreacher's huge eyes darted towards George.**

**'Kreacher is cleaning,' he said evasively.**

Sirius snorted.

**'A likely story,' said a voice behind Harry.**

Sirius clapped his hands like a small child "It's me!"he exclaimed gleefully.

**Sirius had come back; he was glowering at the elf from the doorway. The noise in the hall had abated; perhaps Mrs. Weasley and Mundungus had moved their argument down into the kitchen.**

Tonks and Remus let out a sigh of relief.

**At the sight of Sirius, Kreacher flung himself into a ridiculously low bow that flattened his snoutlike nose on the floor.**

**'Stand up straight,' said Sirius impatiently. 'Now, what are you up to?'**

**'Kreacher is cleaning,' the elf repeated. 'Kreacher lives to serve the Noble House of Black-'**

**'-and it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy,' said Sirius.**

Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius who smiled cheekily back.

**'Master always liked his little joke,' said Kreacher, bowing again, and continuing in an undertone, 'Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-'**

Sirius and Tonks snorted "She didn't have a heart!" they said in sync.

**'My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher,' snapped Sirius. 'She kept herself alive out of pure spite.'**

"Exactly" they said together.

**Kreacher bowed again as he spoke.**

**'Whatever Master says,' he muttered furiously. 'Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother's boots, oh, my poor mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was-'**

"What can I say I'm a rebel!" said Sirius smiling making the others laugh.

**'I asked you what you were up to,' said Sirius coldly. 'Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out.'**

**'Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in Master's house,' said the elf, then muttered very fast, 'Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family, Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it-'**

"In that case, I'm destroying it!" declared Sirius.

**'I thought it might be that,' said Sirius, casting a disdainful look at the opposite wall. 'She'll have put another Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of it, I don't doubt, but if I can get rid of it I certainly will. Now go away, Kreacher.'**

"Maybe I could burn it?" said Sirius thoughtfully.

**It seemed that Kreacher did not dare disobey a direct order; nevertheless, the look he gave Sirius as he shuffled out past him was full of deepest loathing and he muttered all the way out of the room.**

**'-comes back from Azkaban ordering Kreacher around, oh, my poor mistress, what would she say if she saw the house now, scum living in it, her treasures thrown out, she swore he was no son of hers and he's back, they say he's a murderer too-'**

**'Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!' said Sirius irritably as he slammed the door shut on the elf.**

**'Sirius, he's not right in the head,' Hermione pleaded, 'I don't think he realises we can hear him.'**

Sirius snorted. He knows what he's saying that's for sure...

**'He's been alone too long,' said Sirius, 'taking mad orders from my mother's portrait and talking to himself, but he was always a foul little-'**

**'If you could just set him free,' said Hermione hopefully, 'maybe-'**

"I wish..." said Sirius wistfully.

**'We can't set him free, he knows too much about the Order,' said Sirius curtly. 'And anyway, the shock would kill him. You suggest to him that he leaves this house, see how he takes it.'**

"He'd probably die of shock" said Sirius with a dreamy look in his eyes.

**Sirius walked across the room to where the tapestry Kreacher had been trying to protect hung the length of the wall. Harry and the others followed.**

Sirius crunched his nose up in disgust.

**The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though doxys had gnawed it in places. Nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show them a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Harry could tell) to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:**

**The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black 'Toujours pur'**

"Always Pure..."said Sirius tonelessly.

**'You're not on here!' said Harry, after scanning the bottom of the tree closely.**

**'I used to be there,' said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. 'My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home- Kreacher's quite fond of muttering the story under his breath.'**

**'You ran away from home?' **

"One of the best things I've ever done." Sirius said proudly.

**'When I was about sixteen,' said Sirius. 'I'd had enough.'**

**'Where did you go?' asked Harry, staring at him.**

"James' place"

**'Your dad's place,' said Sirius. 'Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out at your dad's in the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold-he's been wiped off here too, that's probably why-anyway, after that I looked after myself. I was always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potters for Sunday lunch, though.'**

Sirius smiled at the memory.

**'But ... why did you...?'**

**'Leave?' Sirius smiled bitterly and ran his fingers through his long, unkempt hair. 'Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal ... my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them ... that's him.'**

Sirius looked down sadly which wasn't unnoticed by the others. He hadn't really meant that.

**Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name 'Regulus Black'. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth.**

**'He was younger than me,' said Sirius, 'and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.'**

**'But he died,' said Harry.**

**'Yeah,' said Sirius. 'Stupid idiot ... he joined the Death Eaters.'**

Sirius sighed he should've looked out for him more and saved him from the Death Eaters.

**'You're kidding!'**

**'Come on, Harry, haven't you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?' said Sirius testily.**

**'Were-were your parents Death Eaters as well?'**

"Nope, but they were as good as..."

**'No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge. They weren't alone, either, there were quite a few people, before Voldemort showed his true colours, who thought he had the right idea about things... They got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.'**

**'Was he killed by an Auror?' Harry asked tentatively.**

**'Oh, no,' said Sirius. 'No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely; I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death.'**

A tear trickled from the corner of Sirius' eye but he wiped it away impatiently. How he wished he could talk to his brother one last time.

" I'm Sorry Sirius," said Remus patting him on the back.

"I just wish I could've saved him," Sirius croaked.

"I know, at least he tried to back out."

Sirius smiled "Yeah,-" he started but was cut off by a loud 'POP' and then a boy around 16 years old appeared. He had dark brown hair and a pale face. He looked up, his grey eyes full of confusion. They landed on Sirius who gasped.

"Regulus" he mouthed.

The boy tilted his head in confusion staring at Sirius his eyes narrowed but suddenly widened in realization.

"Sirius..." he whispered.

Sirius nodded and to Regulus' Surprise ran up and hugged him. Remus and Tonks saw his eyes widen and his body tense but after a few seconds relaxed.

"Sirius, you look different..." Regulus said examining Sirius' face. "You look older..."

"Gee, Thanks Reg," Sirius joked but then became ...Serious. "Regulus I don't know how to tell you but... you're in the future..."

Regulus' eyes widened again "_What!_" he whispered he looked around and saw Remus and Tonks standing there awkwardly in the background and his eyes widened in surprise and comprehension.

"You're Remus Lupin!" he gasped looking at Remus who nodded. He turned to Tonks still looking confused.

"That's Nymphadora," supplied Sirius.

Regulus eyes widened and he smiled. "Little Nymphadora!" Tonks winced when he said this " You've defiantly grown up, you're only 9 years old in my time."

"Yes, but please, call me **Tonks,** **not** Nymphadora." She told him glaring at Sirius. Regulus laughed.

"Yeah, I would prefer to be called Tonks too but then I can't talk, I mean my name's Regulus..." Tonks smiled and looked pointedly at Sirius but he just laughed and she glared at him.

" I'm guessing that Sirius calls you Nymphadora?" asked Regulus after witnessing the exchange.

"Yes. He does!" exclaimed Tonks whacking Sirius on the back of the head. "And so does Remus" she said smiling at Remus "But I don't mind him calling my Nymphadora." Remus blushed at this. Something that Sirius and Regulus didn't miss and they exchanged Evil looks.

"Well," said Sirius clapping his hands "Before you arrived we we're reading a book about the future" Regulus gave him a disbelieving look.

" I'm Serious!" said Sirius seriously.

"Yeah, I know..." said Regulus a smile playing on his lips.

"Oh Shut Up, Reg!"Sirius said throwing a pillow at him which he ducked.

"But honestly, we are reading a books from the future. They're about my Godson, Harry Potter."

"Harry _Potter_? Is he James Potter's son?" Regulus interrupted.

Sirius nodded and Regulus noticed a painful look had appeared on his brother's face but disappeared as soon as it had come.

"And Lily Evans" said Sirius and another look of pain had appeared on his face. "The one we're reading now is _'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'_ and we're up to about chapter 6."

" OK..." said Regulus trying to take in this new and very unusual information."

"Right, so there are a few things you should know about this book." Sirius said suddenly looking sad.

"Harry doesn't live with Lily and James because... they're dead..." Regulus gasped "They were  
murdered by Voldemort on October, Halloween in 1981, when Harry was 1 years old. We're not entirely sure what happened but Harry survived Voldemort's-" Tonks and Regulus flinched. "-Killing curse with only a scar on his forehead. Dumbledore thinks that Lily made a love/Blood sacrifice which forms a shield so Voldemort, who can't stand touching anything so pure, was-was- well he disappeared, ripped from his body, reduced to a spirit and he fled." Sirius growled. "We had been keeping Lily, James and Harry safe and hidden from Voldemort by using the fidulus charm, I was the secret Keeper but we changed, to Peter Pettigrew" Remus and Sirius both had a manic glint in their eyes. "And-and we didn't tell Remus or Dumbledore or anyone else, it was just Lily, James, Peter and I. On the night that they died I had planned to check on Peter, to make sure he was OK. I arrived at his hideout and he was gone, but there was no sign of a struggle. I was scared, so I headed out to James and Lily's house and-and when I saw their house, I knew what Peter had done, what I had done..." tears were now threatening to poor down Sirius' face now and he turned away.

"So Sirius went after Peter" continued Remus "He found him in the middle of a busy, muggle street and then Peter yelled to the Entire street "Lily and James, how could you Sirius" and then with his wand behind his back he blew the street up and killed at least 12 muggles. He then cut of his finger and turned into his animagus which is a rat and ran into the sewers. Sirius was framed for betraying Lily and James and killing all those muggles and was sent to Azkaban but-" Remus started smiling here

"Sirius here, became the first ever person to escape from Azkaban unaided."

"WHAT!"Regulus shouted disbelieving.

"He escaped from Azkaban," repeated Remus smiling. "And he travelled to Hogwarts as a dog which is his Animagus, they, Peter and Sirius are both unregistered and one night Harry and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger found him in the Shrieking Shack and Sirius told them his story and they believed him. Peter had hidden with the Weasley Family as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers so Sirius had proof but Peter got away" said Remus shortly.

"Well what a life you've had..." muttered Regulus. Remus smiled and continued.

"Harry has been living with his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin, Lily's sister. Apparently they're pretty horrible to him. His been living there ever since his parent's death. So far in this book Harry fought of some dementors that attacked him and his cousin in the summer. We didn't get to read that part but the Ministry threatened to expel him for it but Dumbledore talked to them and he got a hearing. Tonks, Made-Eye moody, Kingsley Shaklebolt, Me and a few other people all went and picked Harry up and took him to Grimmuald Place the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix and he was here until the start of term."

"Right" said Regulus nodding his head.

"And there's something else..." Remus said looking at Sirius who nodded gloomily.

"You," Regulus' head shot up and his eyes widened "Died" he gasped "15 years ago" Remus said slowly.

"What?"

"You joined the Death Eaters when you were 16," continued Sirius and then he looked at Regulus suspiciously. "You aren't a Death Eater yet are you?"

Regulus shook his head "I was supposed to join in 5 months..." he said looking as if he was having second thoughts about joining.

Sirius smiled happily "Well, looks like we'll be able save you! Well you joined the Death Eaters and you tried to back out and were killed but we don't know how... no one ever found a body..." Sirius said looking at his feet.

Regulus smiled weakly. "Well it doesn't matter because we'll be able to fix it. Come on let's continue with the books."

**'Lunch,' said Mrs Weasley's voice.**

"Mrs Weasley?" asked Regulus.

"She's Ron Weasley's mother. In your time her name's Molly Prewett. She has 7 kids. The eldest Bill, Charlie, Percy (Who's ditched his family), Fred and George (They're twins), Ron (Harry's best friend) and the only girl, Ginny."

"Molly Prewett! I remember her!" said Regulus a look of realization on his face. "She has two twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon doesn't she?"  
"Yeah," said Sirius laughing but stopped suddenly "but they're... dead"

"Oh," said Regulus frowning. How many people had died in this war?

**She was holding her wand high in front of her, balancing a huge tray loaded with sandwiches and cake on its tip. She was very red in the face and still looked angry. The others moved over to her, eager for some food, but Harry remained with Sirius, who had bent closer to the tapestry.**

**'I haven't looked at this for years. There's Phineas Nigellus ... my great-great-grandfather, see? Least popular headmaster Hogwarts ever had**

Sirius snorted "And for a good reason!"

"You know," said Tonks "Whenever I went into the Headmasters office,"

"Which I'm sure was quite a lot." Sirius interrupted.

"Hey!" she exclaimed "Like you can talk!" Sirius stopped talking. She was right.

"Anyway, Phineas Nigellus would always say 'So this is the Blood Traitor's offspring is sit? And then he would start babbling about how I was such a disappointment! It was so annoying!" pouted Tonks.

They all laughed and Sirius said "Don't worry about it...He did that to me all the time"

**... and Araminta Meliflua ... cousin of my mother's ... tried to force through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal ... and dear Aunt Elladora ... she started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays ... **

"I should really get rid of all those heads" said Sirius thoughtfully. "It really creeps all the guests out..."

"No really?' said Tonks sarcastically and then she stopped and laughed "They wouldn't be as creepy with Santa Hats on!"

They all laughed. "Mother would die if she saw that!" snorted Regulus.

"Quick!" said Sirius suddenly "Where are the Santa Hats!" he exclaimed.

"Sirius... Aunt Wulburga is already dead..." said Tonks slowly.

"Really?" Regulus asked shocked.

"Yeah, she died a few years after you did..." replied Sirius unable to keep the smile of his face.

"Oh..."

**of course, any time the family produced someone halfway decent they were disowned. I see Tonks isn't on here. Maybe that's why Kreacher won't take orders from her-he's supposed to do whatever anyone in the family asks him...' **

Tonks pretended to look outraged.

**'You and Tonks are related?' Harry asked, surprised.**

**'Oh, yeah, her mother Andromeda was my favourite cousin, said Sirius, examining the tapestry closely. 'No, Andromeda's not on here either, look-'**

**He pointed to another small round burn mark between two names, Bellatrix and Narcissa.**

Sirius pulled a face at these names.

**'Andromeda's sisters are still here because they made lovely, respectable pure-blood marriages, but Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so-'**

'Bam!' yelled Sirius and mimed blasting the tapestry with his wand.

**Sirius mimed blasting the tapestry with a wand and laughed sourly. Harry, however, did not laugh; he was too busy staring at the names to the right of Andromeda's burn mark. A double line of gold embroidery linked Narcissa Black with Lucius Malfoy and a single vertical gold line from their names led to the name Draco.**

"They had a kid?" asked Regulus.

"Yeah, Draco, he and Harry are enemies from what I've hear...He'll probably be in this book." Sirius told his brother.

**'You're related to the Malfoys!'**

"Sadly," said Sirius... sadly.

**'The pure-blood families are all interrelated,' said Sirius. 'If you're only going to let your sons and daughters marry pure-bloods our choice is very limited; there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur's something like my second cousin once removed. But there's no point looking for them on here-if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it's the Weasleys.'**

**But Harry was now looking at the name to the left of Andromeda's burn: Bellatrix Black, which was connected by a double line to Rodolphus Lestrange.**

Sirius scrunched his nose up at this.

**'Lestrange...' Harry said aloud. The name had stirred something in his memory; he knew it from somewhere, but for a moment he couldn't think where, though it gave him an odd, creeping sensation in the pit of his stomach.**

**'They're in Azkaban,' said Sirius shortly.**

"And I had the great pleasure of having Bellatrix in the cell across from me!" whined Sirius.

**Harry looked at him curiously.**

**'Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus came in with Barty Crouch, Junior,' said Sirius, in the same brusque voice. 'Rodolphus's brother Rabastan was with them, too.'**

**Then Harry remembered: He had seen Bellatrix Lestrange inside Dumbledore's Pensieve, the strange device in which thoughts and memories could be stored: a tall dark woman with heavy-lidded eyes, who had stood at her trial and proclaimed her continuing allegiance to Lord Voldemort, her pride that she had tried to find him after his downfall and her conviction that she would one day be rewarded for her loyalty.**

**'You never said she was your-'**

**'Does it matter if she's my cousin?' snapped Sirius. 'As far as I'm concerned, they're not my family. She's certainly not my family. I haven't seen her since I was your age, unless you count a glimpse of her coming into Azkaban. D'you think I'm proud of having a relative like her?'**

"No, I am defiantly not!" snapped Sirius.

**'Sorry,' said Harry quickly, 'I didn't mean-I was just surprised, that's all-'**

**'It doesn't matter, don't apologise,' Sirius mumbled. He turned away from the tapestry, his hands deep in his pockets. 'I don't like being back here,' he said, staring across the drawing room. 'I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again.'**

**Harry understood completely. He knew how he would feel, when he was grown up and thought he was free of the place for ever, to return and live at number four, Privet Drive.**

"Merlin, he must really hate the Dursleys..."

**'It's ideal for headquarters, of course,' Sirius said. 'My father put every security measure known to wizardkind on it when he lived here. It's unplottable, so Muggles could never come and call-as if they'd ever have wanted to-and now Dumbledore's added his protection, you'd be hard put to find a safer house anywhere. Dumbledore's Secret-Keeper for the Order, you know-nobody can find Headquarters unless he tells them personally where it is-that note Moody showed you last night, that was from Dumbledore...' Sirius gave a short, bark-like laugh. 'If my parents could see the use their house was being put to now ... well, my moth;'ers portrait should give you some idea.'**

**He scowled for a moment, then sighed.**

**'I wouldn't mind if I could just get out occasionally and do something useful. I've asked Dumbledore whether I can escort you to your hearing-as Snuffles, obviously-so I can give you a bit of moral support, what d'you think?'**

Remus and Tonks smiled sadly at Sirius who just frowned.

**Harry felt as though his stomach had sunk through the dusty carpet. He had not thought about the hearing once since dinner the previous evening; in the excitement of being back with the people he liked best, and hearing everything that was going on, it had completely flown his mind. At Sirius's words, however, the crushing sense of dread returned to him. He stared at Hermione and the Weasleys, all tucking into their sandwiches, and thought how he would feel if they went back to Hogwarts without him.**

**'Don't worry,' Sirius said. Harry looked up and realised that Sirius had been watching him. 'I'm sure they'll clear you, there's definitely something in the International Statute of Secrecy about being allowed to use magic to save your own life.'**

"The Ministry of Magic has really gone to dogs," said Tonks.

"HEY!"Shouted Sirius. "Don't insult Dogs!"

**'But if they do expel me,' said Harry quietly, 'can I come back here and live with you?'**

**Sirius smiled sadly.**

**'We'll see.'**

**'I'd feel a lot better about the hearing if I knew I didn't have to go back to the Dursleys,' Harry pressed him.**

**'They must be bad if you prefer this place,' said Sirius gloomily.**

**'Hurry up, you two, or there won't be any food left,' Mrs. Weasley called.**

"FOOD!"

**Sirius heaved another great sigh, cast a dark look at the tapestry, then he and Harry went to join the others.**

**Harry tried his best not to think about the hearing while he emptied the glass-fronted cabinets that afternoon. Fortunately for him, it was a job that required a lot of concentration, as many of the objects in there seemed very reluctant to leave their dusty shelves. Sirius sustained a bad bite from a silver snuffbox; within seconds his bitten hand had developed an unpleasant crusty covering like a tough brown glove.**

**'It's OK,' he said, examining the hand with interest before tapping it lightly with his wand and restoring its skin to normal, 'must be Wartcap powder in there.'**

**He threw the box aside into the sack where they were depositing the debris from the cabinets; Harry saw George wrap his own hand carefully in a cloth moments later and sneak the box into his already doxy-filled pocket.**

Sirius and Tonks had a proud look on their faces while Remus and Regulus were trying to look disapproving,

**They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry's arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin. Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Sirius's grandfather for 'services to the Ministry'.**

"It means he gave them gold" muttered Sirius.

**'It means he gave them a load of gold,' said Sirius contemptuously throwing the medal into the rubbish sack.**

"My God Sirius, Our families going to be rolling in their graves!" exclaimed and exasperated Regulus.

Sirius' face lit up at this.

**Several times Kreacher sidled into the room and attempted to smuggle things away under his loincloth, muttering horrible curses every time they caught him at it. When Sirius wrested a large golden ring bearing the Black crest from his grip, Kreacher actually burst into furious tears and left the room sobbing under his breath and calling Sirius names Harry had never heard before.**

**'It was my father's,' said Sirius, throwing the ring into the sack. 'Kreacher wasn't quite as devoted to him as to my mother, but I still caught him snogging a pair of my father's old trousers last week.'**

Tonks scrunched up her nose.

"How long has he been alone in this house?" Regulus asked.

"I dunno, ever since mother died, 11 or 13 years?" replied Sirius.

Regulus shook his head. "I think he's gone insane..."

"Yeh think?"

**Mrs. Weasley kept them all working very hard over the next few days. The drawing room took three days to decontaminate. Finally, the only undesirable things left in it were the tapestry of the Black family tree, which resisted all their attempts to remove it from the wall, and the rattling writing desk. Moody had not dropped by headquarters yet, so they could not be sure what was inside it.**

"It's a boggart" Declared Remus going into Professor Mode.

"Yes, we know _Professor Lupin" _teased Sirius.

"_I _think it's cute!" said Tonks blushing.

Regulus and Sirius were both trying to hide their laughter. Regulus was successful by turning his into a hacking cough. Sirius was not which resulted in receiving a glare from Remus.

**They moved from the drawing room to a dining room on the ground floor where they found spiders as large as saucers lurking in the dresser (Ron left the room hurriedly to make a cup of tea and did not return for an hour and a half). The china, which bore the Black crest and motto, was all thrown unceremoniously into a sack by Sirius, and the same fate met a set of old photographs in tarnished silver frames, all of whose occupants squealed shrilly as the glass covering them smashed.**

Sirius cackled evilly.

**Snape might refer to their work as 'cleaning', but in Harry's opinion they were really waging war on the house, which was putting up a very good fight, aided and abetted by Kreacher. **

"Now that is an interesting way of putting it..." said Remus smiling thoughtfully.

"I agree whole heartily!" declared Sirius.

**The house-elf kept appearing wherever they were congregated, his muttering becoming more and more offensive as he attempted to remove anything he could from the rubbish sacks. Sirius went as far as to threaten him with clothes, but Kreacher fixed him with a watery stare and said, 'Master must do as Master wishes,' before turning away and muttering very loudly, 'but Master will not turn Kreacher away, no, because Kreacher knows what they are up to, oh yes, he is plotting against the Dark Lord, yes, with these Mudblood and traitors and scum...'**

Sirius growled.

**At which Sirius, ignoring Hermione's protests, seized Kreacher by the back of his loincloth and threw him bodily from the room.**

"You know you should be nicer to Kreacher..." Regulus told Sirius shaking his head. "He's going to do something one of these days..."

Sirius ignored him.

**The doorbell rang several times a day, which was the cue for Sirius's mother to start shrieking again, and for Harry and the others to attempt to eavesdrop on the visitor, though they gleaned very little from the brief glimpses and snatches of conversation they were able to sneak before Mrs. Weasley recalled them to their tasks. Snape flitted in and out of the house several times more, though to Harry's relief they never came face to face; Harry also caught sight of his Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, looking very odd in a Muggle dress and coat, **

They all laughed.

"She sure did!" said Tonks laughing.

**and she also seemed too busy to linger. Sometimes, however, the visitors stayed to help. Tonks joined them for a memorable afternoon in which they found a murderous old ghoul lurking in an upstairs toilet, **

Tonks smiled remembering that afternoon .

**and Lupin, who was staying in the house with Sirius but who left it for long periods to do mysterious work for the Order, helped them repair a grandfather clock that had developed the unpleasant habit of shooting heavy bolts at passers-by. **

"One of those bolts shot me in the forehead!" said Sirius grumpily.

Regulus snorted with laughter.

"What?"

"I-I was the one w-who set that up!" said Regulus shaking with laughter making Remus and Tonks join in too.

Sirius glared at his brother who merrily looked at him innocently.

**Mundungus redeemed himself slightly in Mrs. Weasley's eyes by rescuing Ron from an ancient set of purple robes that had tried to strangle him when he removed them from their wardrobe.**

"Sometimes I think that our house if more dangerous than the occupants!" admitted Regulus.

"I dunno, Mother and Father are pretty dangerous..."

**Despite the fact that he was still sleeping badly, still having dreams about corridors and locked doors that made his scar prickle, Harry was managing to have fun for the first time all summer. **

They all smiled sadly at this.

**As long as he was busy he was happy; when the action abated, however, whenever he dropped his guard, or lay exhausted in bed watching blurred shadows move across the ceiling, the thought of**

**the looming Ministry hearing returned to him. Fear jabbed at his insides like needles as he wondered what was going to happen to him if he was expelled. The idea was so terrible that he did not dare voice it aloud, not even to Ron and Hermione, who, though he often saw them whispering together and casting anxious looks in his direction, followed his lead in not mentioning it. Sometimes, he could not prevent his imagination showing him a faceless Ministry official who was snapping his wand in two and ordering him back to the Dursleys' ... but he would not go. He was determined on that. He would come back here to Grimmauld Place and live with Sirius.**

Sirius smiled to himself. He was glad his Godson loved him as much he, Sirius, loved Harry.

**He felt as though a brick had dropped into his stomach when Mrs. Weasley turned to him during dinner on Wednesday evening and said quietly, 'I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight, too. A good first impression can work wonders.'**

"Trust me, a first impression won't change what the Ministry think of him..." sighed Remus.

"And nobody's going to be able to tame his hair" added Sirius laughing.

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny all stopped talking and looked over at him. Harry nodded and tried to keep eating his chop, but his mouth had become so dry he could not chew.**

**'How am I getting there?' he asked Mrs. Weasley, trying to sound unconcerned.**

"I seriously doubt that worked..." said Regulus.

**'Arthur's taking you to work with him,' said Mrs. Weasley gently.**

**Mr. Weasley smiled encouragingly at Harry across the table.**

**'You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing,' he said.**

**Harry looked over at Sirius, but before he could ask the question, Mrs. Weasley had answered it.**

**'Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Sirius to go with you, and I must say I-'**

**'-think he's quite right,' said Sirius through clenched teeth.**

Sirius huffed angrily and glared at the book.

**Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.**

**'When did Dumbledore tell you that?' Harry said, staring at Sirius.**

**'He came last night, when you were in bed,' said Mr. Weasley.**

**Sirius stabbed moodily at a potato with his fork. Harry lowered his own eyes to his plate. The thought that Dumbledore had been in the house on the eve of his hearing and not asked to see him made him feel, if it were possible, even worse.**

They all looked down sadly.

"Well next Chapter **The Ministry of Magic**"


End file.
